Cyber-Physical Systems and Systems Engineering

Description of impact

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) integrate sensing, computation, control, and communication into physical systems, enabling them to interact intelligently with their environment and with each other. At CST, we develop the fundamental theories and tools that drive this transformation, shaping a new generation of smart, connected, and autonomous systems. These technologies are redefining key domains such as high-tech manufacturing, precision agriculture, autonomous mobility across land, air, and water, smart infrastructure, and personalized healthcare—including advanced cancer treatment technologies.

The increasing complexity and connectivity of these systems demand a new level of integration across disciplines, combining mechanics, electronics, and software into unified design methodologies. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twinning are accelerating innovation and opening up new possibilities for monitoring, control, and optimization. Addressing these challenges requires scalable, adaptive, and intelligent solutions that can operate reliably in dynamic and uncertain environments.

Our research focuses on uncovering fundamental principles for the analysis and design of complex, networked, and autonomous systems. By abstracting across application domains, we develop broadly applicable methods while maintaining strong connections to real-world challenges through collaborations with leading industrial partners such as ASML, NXP, TNO Automotive, Thermo-Fisher Scientific, and many others.

Category of impact	Research Topic/Theme (at group level)