Unlocking MBSE Interoperability: A Collaborative Framework for Aerospace & Defence
Following the publication of "A&D PLM Action Group Model-Based Systems Engineering Research Report of Findings: General Availability Edition", October 2025
Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a development approach for managing the complexity of aerospace and defence systems. Moreover, by shifting from document-centric to model-centric processes, MBSE enables engineers to design, analyse, and validate systems in a digital environment, reducing errors, accelerating development cycles, and improving collaboration. However, despite its potential, MBSE adoption faces a critical barrier: interoperability. This is that is highlighting by the Aerospace & Defence PLM Action Group (AD PAG) Collaborative Research Report showing that three-quarters of industry stakeholders identify interoperability as a major obstacle to MBSE success.
The challenge is not just technical; it is also organizational and cultural. Engineers frequently encounter siloed tools and data, where critical information is trapped in proprietary formats that cannot be easily shared or integrated. For example, a system model developed in SysML may need to be manually re-entered into a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, introducing incomplete information and delays. This lack of automation not only wastes valuable engineering time but also increases the risk of inconsistencies that can disorganise projects. The issue is aggravated by the absence of widely adopted standards, forcing organizations to develop custom integrations that are costly to build and maintain.
The AD PAG report also highlights a fundamental tension between the needs of industry and the priorities of solution providers. Industry stakeholders prioritize collaboration, lifecycle traceability, and data exchange as essential for MBSE success. In contrast, many solution providers focus on tool-specific features, proprietary integrations, and customer lock-in, priorities that often conflict with the industry’s need for openness and flexibility. This misalignment, which slows down MBSE adoption and limits its ability to deliver transformative value, could be addressed by establishing common playground where all stakeholders can achieve their objectives while strengthening their business sovereignty. Let’s explore what that could look like!
A Collaborative Path to Operational Excellence
To bridge the gap between MBSE stakeholders, AFNeT Ecosystem leads collaborative frameworks that align all stakeholders around shared goals, standards, and operational excellence. These frameworks are built on four core principles, designed to foster trust, drive action, and deliver measurable results for both industry and solution providers.
Neutrality
Interoperability cannot thrive in an environment dominated by any single vendor or interest group. AFNeT acts as a neutral facilitator, ensuring that all voices, whether from OEMs, suppliers, tool vendors, or standards bodies, are heard and valued. This neutrality builds trust and transparency, encouraging stakeholders to collaborate openly without fear of bias or favouritism. On behalf of AFNeT , AFNeT Services as an operator creates a safe space where competing interests can align around shared objectives, such as standardized data exchange or lifecycle traceability.
Collective Ownership
Interoperability is not the responsibility of a single organization; it requires collective ownership from all participants. This principle emphasizes that every stakeholder has a role to play, whether in defining standards, testing methods, or deploying solutions. By fostering a sense of shared responsibility, AFNeT Services ensures that the outcomes are practical, relevant, and sustainable, while AFNeT encourages stakeholders to invest resources, such as time, expertise, and funding, into the initiative, knowing that their contributions will yield mutual benefits.
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Lifecycle Approach
Interoperability is not a one-time project but a continuous journey that spans the entire lifecycle of MBSE adoption. AFNeT ’s projects address every stage, from strategy and standards development to proof of concepts (PoCs), deployment, and training. This lifecycle approach ensures that solutions are iterative, adaptable, and aligned with evolving industry needs. It also allows stakeholders to measure progress, refine strategies, and scale successes over time. By structuring the collaboration as a phased process, AFNeT Services is creating a clear path from vision to execution, with milestones and deliverables at each stage.
Standards as the Foundation
The AFNeT framework enables seamless MBSE interoperability through a standard-driven approach, structured around four interconnected activities operates by AFNeT Services , not necessarily sequential, that ensure technical robustness and scalability.
First, a standard-aligned strategy gathers stakeholders (OEMs, suppliers, tool vendors) around a shared vision grounded in international standards, defining priorities while ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. Further, standard-based practices develop practical guidelines and reference datasets, offering step-by-step workflows for use cases like supply chain collaboration. The AFNeT Interoperability Forum, with user and implementer groups, refines these practices to enhance standard adoption. Then, standards are exercised & tailored (e.g., ISO 10303-242, SysML) to industry use cases, customizing them for real-world workflows, enable to identify limitation and need evolution. AFNeT ’s members involvement in Standards Development Organizations ensures these adaptations feed back into future standards modification. Finally, the deployment stage validates interoperability through proof of concept & training, demonstrating real-world applications of standards. A community of practices sustains long-term adoption by sharing lessons learns and refining approaches, ensuring interoperability is both theoretically sound and practically implemented.
The Path Forward: A Call to Collaborative Actions
By embracing the principles of neutrality, collective ownership, lifecycle approach, and standards alignment, the AFNeT association creates a unified framework for MBSE interoperability. This framework will not only bridge the gap between industry and solution providers but also unlock the full potential of MBSE, driving innovation, efficiency, and collaboration across the aerospace and defence sectors.
You are welcome to connect within AFNeT initiatives, joining our association and collectives’ projects. Come and see
do not hesitate to contact me: pascal.hubert@afnet-services.fr
