Research Focus

The overall goal of the School is to provide a stimulating environment for research in the rapidly developing field of software, systems and network engineering. The field deals with the construction of so-called embedded or mechatronic systems. Such systems are already in daily use and the social and economic welfare of the modern information society increasingly depends on them. Examples are simple systems like electronic teller machines and complex life critical systems like a modern aircraft or a railway system.

Such systems only function correctly if the often complex interplay between mechanical, electrical and software components is carefully defined and works well. Complexity is further increased when the systems are connected in networks. Challenges for future research in the area are particularly due to the fact that these systems must increasingly become dynamically reconfigurable, such that their components (software and hardware) can be replaced or upgraded during runtime. Such changes can only be contemplated if their success is assured in advance. Not only must the new component work properly, but it also must operate in its new environment without causing any bad side effects. In addition, the evolution of such systems and the implant of components into different, evolving environments require that components become more and more intelligent, i. e., that they adapt automatically to their new or changing environment. Such changing, adaptive systems we call dynamic intelligent systems. They are the focus of the School's research program. 

PhD projects could be in areas like

  • Reconfigurable Hardware and Software Components
  • Ressource and Communication Management in Dynamic Networks
  • Organisation of large Dynamic Networks
  • Interdisciplinary Design Processes
  • Performance-oriented Modelling and Specification Techniques
  • Intelligent Systems in Production and Logistics
  • Intelligent Mechatronic Systems