Conference Agenda

This study provides an evaluation of an architecture framework intended to support stakeholders in realizing trustworthy cyber-physical systems (CPS), referred to as the T-Framework. The framework explicitly addresses CPS complexity, including the fact that multiple trustworthiness aspects will need to be considered for contemporary CPS, from classical dependability aspects to ethical concerns involving artificial intelligence. In addition, this study also investigates the problems that are repeatedly encountered by the stakeholders involved in realizing trustworthy CPS. To achieve the goals of the study, the boundary object and knowledge boundary concepts from social sciences were used. These concepts are useful tools to examine how various involved stakeholders can cooperate on a project through the utilization of objects, even though they have different perspectives and conflicting interests. Focus groups were used as the methodological approach to gather feedback from various experts in CPS from industry and academia. Findings show that stakeholders repeatedly encounter problems when making trade-offs between trustworthiness attributes and system aspects, dealing with prioritization, and making final decisions. The findings further show that the T-Framework can potentially guide stakeholders in addressing these problems as a boundary object. Furthermore, based on the feedback from the participants, several aspects for improvements or additional consideration in the T-Framework were identified, including clarifications regarding the framework workflow and terminology.

In engineering, the design of a product relies heavily on a design specification; a co-creation of customer and engineer which captures the requirements. Subjectivity is intrinsic to this process. Whilst engineers typically have a high appreciation of the technical aspects of design, the detailed knowledge of environmental and socioeconomic (ESE) implications are often held elsewhere. As such, efficient and effective design is critically dependent on the processes underpinning knowledge transfer. However, the information interfaces between engineering and the requirements of our swiftly changing civilisation remain indirect and suboptimal, and the unintended consequences of design choices are becoming increasingly serious.Transdisciplinary engineering bridges knowledge boundaries interfacing with engineering (e.g. social science). This paper explores whether topology (a branch of pure mathematics) presents an opportunity to analyse the complex interdependency of transdisciplinary engineering information. Topology and geometry describe the structure of objects such as connectedness or the number of holes and have recently provided a suite of powerful and robust tools for analysing high-dimensional data sets. However, the real-world implementation of the term topology is still evolving. Interviews with engineering organisations, revealed that topology is almost exclusively interpreted as ‘Topology Optimisation’ in the context of advanced design and manufacturing. To date, mathematical processes for critically and systematically examining the topology of systems have not been transferred through to the engineering industry. This paper compares how topology is interpreted by the engineering industry, compared to academic literature, and reflects on the opportunities of applying the mathematical theory of topological analysis to transdisciplinary engineering data.

In product platforms, reusable assets play an important role in supporting the realization of new products and systems. Asset governance is key to ensure their relevance and useability. Assets can have different aims for different stakeholders, where design engineers might use design guidelines as platform assets within their organizational function, while other assets aim to support transdisciplinary collaboration, such as the production preparation process. Although assets used within functions have received previous attention, the literature has not yet presented a clear path forward for how the transdisciplinary perspective on platform asset governance can be supported. To shed light on this topic, we therefore introduce the concept of Transdisciplinary Platform Assets. We do this by conceptualizing these Transdisciplinary Platform Assets from a boundary object perspective. Boundary objects can enable transdisciplinary collaboration and integration of knowledge across diverse communities. By viewing assets from a boundary object perspective, we can illuminate how assets can be tailored for transdisciplinary usage; subsequently becoming more effective. In this paper we put forward a way to classify assets based on the width of the transdisciplinary gap between the users. The concept is further illuminated in its implications through an illustrative application on A3 templates. We conclude by highlighting potential paths for future research and potential industrial use cases.

This study explores transdisciplinary collaborations in smartwatch technology, with focus on health-related smart watch innovations. Among other leading brands, Apple Watch is a key player in this fast-growing market. Apple Watch has secured a remarkable position, boasting its market share to 37%. Specifically, it commands a 45% market share in the High-Level Operating System (HLOS) smartwatch sector, where advanced healthcare functions are focused. Utilizing advanced patent analysis techniques, including their technological clustering, maturity analysis, and technology function matrix (TFM), this research depicts technological innovations of smart watch, emphasizing on main features of mobile payment, watch bands, and physiological symptom monitoring based on robust domain ontology schema map. The study underscores the roles of transdisciplinary engineering in societal impact on disease care, reflecting on societal implications of smartwatch’s functional innovations. Considerations include issues of accessibility, sustainability, and popularization of health-related smart watch technologies. Through these transdisciplinary innovations, we explore opportunities for positive cares of societal changes (e.g., aging populations, elderlies live alone, and insufficient healthcare professionals per capita). Furthermore, the study discusses collaborative strategies between smartwatch and healthcare industries, highlighting roles of smaller companies in promoting diversity and innovation through strategic alliances. By mapping technological landscape and patent portfolios, this study identifies partnerships enhancing Apple Watch and its alliance’s competitiveness as a case study. This paper contributes to a comprehensive understanding of strategic positioning and alliances of technological innovations, particularly for the advanced of health-related digital smart solutions.