Biography
Rob Vingerhoeds is a full professor of systems engineering at ISAE-SUPAERO and Dean of the Systems Doctoral School at the University of Toulouse, France. An aerospace engineering graduate from Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands), he holds a PhD in Applied Sciences from the University of Ghent (Belgium) and a “Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches” from the National Polytechnic Institute in Toulouse (France). With significant industrial experience of close to 20 years in a multinational automotive supplier in France and Germany (starting as development engineer, passing via head of generic and advanced development, and ending as vice-president responsible for all automotive engineering application tools), Rob brings a unique blend of academic and practical expertise to his teaching and research in systems engineering, architecture, model-based systems engineering, concept design, and AI applications. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence for 10 years and is currently Deputy Editor of Systems Engineering. Rob speaks fluently Dutch, English, French and German, and masters Spanish at a reasonable level. A passionate advocate for INCOSE’s mission, Rob is committed to driving innovation and inclusivity in the global systems engineering community.
Vision
INCOSE: Leading the Evolution of Systems Engineering
INCOSE is the global cornerstone of our profession, uniting diverse expertise to advance systems engineering across industries and cultures. For 35 years, INCOSE’s visionary leadership and vibrant membership have driven transformative achievements: the Systems Engineering Handbook (now 5th edition), yearly world-class International Symposiums and International Workshops, and influential publications such as the Systems Engineering journal, where I’ve had the pleasure to serve as Deputy Editor since 2019, and INSIGHT. And of course, I also would like to mention the standard ISO15288, the Systems Engineering Body of Knowledge (SEBoK, now v2.12), and the GRCSE (Graduate Reference Curriculum in Systems Engineering), all of which INCOSE played a significant role in developing. None of this would have been possible without the strong implication of our members, through our Working Groups, both within INCOSE and within the Chapters. These joint achievements have cemented INCOSE’s role as the authoritative voice in systems engineering.
I believe that we are at a pivotal moment. Rapid societal and technological shifts demand that systems engineering evolves to meet new challenges. INCOSE’s mission in taking a leading role in this transformation is clear and comprises an evolution both as an organization and of our profession. My vision is to position INCOSE as the globally recognized authority on systems engineering by empowering our members, expanding our reach, and driving innovation.
Transforming INCOSE as an Organization
INCOSE is step-by-step evolving from a volunteer-driven group to a professional society, aligning with leading international organizations such as IEEE and IFAC. The 2023 appointment of a full-time executive director and professional staff has strengthened our operations, enabling volunteers worldwide to focus on high-impact activities. The ongoing restructuring of the Board of Directors further supports this shift. My goal is to ensure these changes empower our global community, streamline operations, and amplify our influence, freeing volunteers to innovate and collaborate.
Advancing the Profession
Our Vision 2035 and the Future of Systems Engineering (FuSE) initiative provide a roadmap for addressing emerging challenges. As a passionate advocate for both practice and theory, I believe FuSE must translate visionary ideas into reality, re-enforcing systems engineering’s foundations, and then into practical applications. In the same way, we must work from proven industry approaches to foundational principles. To achieve this, we must engage more academics into our organization, who are currently underrepresented in INCOSE. By creating opportunities for them to share research and collaborate—through targeted workshops, publications, and events—we can enrich our profession and attract new talent. Simultaneously, we must sustain and enhance our existing activities with and for members from industry, so to ensure INCOSE remains a meeting place for all, where we inspire and challenge, in order to bring the field forward.
Serving Our Members and Expanding Our Reach
INCOSE’s strength lies in its members. My priorities include:
- Empowering Individuals: Deliver to our members accessible, high-value education, certification, publications, conferences, and networking opportunities at reasonable costs; I believe it is important to further emphasize INCOSE's commitment to education and the development of future systems engineers.
- Strengthening Communities: Enhance our Working Groups both within INCOSE and in the Chapters, through workshops, virtual tools, and support for underrepresented regions to grow INCOSE’s global presence.
- Supporting Corporates: Leverage Working Groups to advance systems engineering practices, earning external recognition; I believe an additional angle could be to better position INCOSE for a potential role in developing and promoting relevant standards in our profession.
- Bolstering Technical Excellence: Provide world-class support to Technical Committees and Working Groups, the heartbeat of INCOSE.
I am also committed to inclusivity, ensuring students, small businesses, and developing regions are active participants in our global community. By fostering diverse perspectives, we will strengthen INCOSE’s impact and relevance.
Building on both academic experience and an extensive industrial experience, I am dedicated to advancing our field. This double experience in my career enables me to bridge theory and practice. Looking at today’s technical and societal challenges, I believe specific attention should be given to systems of systems, to complexity and the ways to master it, to artificial intelligence for systems engineering, to bringing humans back in the center of development (e.g. Human-Systems Integration), and on solid scientific foundations for Systems Engineering (including formal proofs). I am committed to the FuSE initiative to enhance INCOSE’s global impact.
INCOSE is at a pivotal moment, with growing needs, capabilities, and capacity. Together, let’s build a stronger society, profession, and global community, let’s lead together the Evolution of Systems Engineering.