The design of current and future systems calls on an array of methodologies that are interesting to use in synergy :

• Systems engineering, more specifically model based (MBSE), with a methodology coupling :
  • Black box analysis to define a set of consistent requirements ;
  • White box analysis to define candidate architectures and choose the optimal physical architecture ;
• The integration of agility in mechatronic system design ;
• Methodologies for the collaborative design of complex, mechatronic, and robotic or cobotic systems, etc.
• Concurrent engineering, more particularly Set Based Concurrent Engineering (SBCE).

Whatever the nature of a system or a process, it is necessary to address :

• the interoperability between MBSE and models such as CAD, MDO, etc.
• knowledge management using ontologies and KBE (Knowledge Based Engineering) ;
• conflict management and decision-making (choice and construction of pertinent metrics, multi-agent, etc.) ;
• design robustness, for example with variational analysis and multi-domain tolerance analysis.