From AI-Powered Requirements to Continuous Systems Engineering
Systems Engineering at NEXT HORIZONS 2026
Software-defined systems are changing more than products. They are changing how products must be engineered.
Requirements, architectures, software, hardware, tests, and operational information are increasingly interconnected. At the same time, development cycles are becoming shorter, software is updated continuously, and engineering work is distributed across tools, disciplines, organizations, and company boundaries.
Traditional Systems Engineering has provided essential methods for managing this complexity. Document-centric engineering evolved into model-based approaches, structured development processes, and traceable relationships between engineering artifacts. But as products continue to evolve after their initial release, the underlying engineering context must be able to evolve with them.
At NEXT HORIZONS 2026, two presentations from Vector will examine this transformation from complementary perspectives: AI-supported Requirements Engineering and Continuous Systems Engineering.
When More Engineering Information Does Not Mean More Insight
Engineering organizations have invested heavily in specialized tools, standards, integrations, and digital toolchains. These provide valuable capabilities within individual disciplines. Nevertheless, engineers still spend considerable time searching for context, validating information, and maintaining consistency across tool and domain boundaries.
The problem is therefore not simply a lack of data. It is the difficulty of turning distributed engineering information into reliable guidance for decisions.
In his presentation “AI-Powered Requirements,” Martin Melicher explores how AI can support Requirements Engineering in increasingly complex development environments. The focus is not on replacing engineering expertise. It is on making relevant relationships, inconsistencies, and context more accessible to the people responsible for engineering decisions.
This opens up a broader question: How can requirements serve not only as documentation, but as an active and connected part of the engineering process?
From Individual Documents to Shared Context
Requirements are only one part of the overall system context. Their value depends on how effectively they are connected with functions, architectures, implementation decisions, verification results, and operational feedback.
In “From Documents to Shared Engineering Context,” Marcelino Varas traces the evolution of Systems Engineering from document-centric practices to model-based development and structured approaches such as the V-Model.
These approaches have improved traceability, consistency, and control. However, software-defined systems introduce additional demands. Products continue to change, software delivery becomes continuous, AI enters development workflows, and engineering ecosystems extend across an increasing number of tools and organizations.
While DevOps has established continuous practices in software development, the broader Systems Engineering context often remains fragmented.
The Next Step: Continuous Systems Engineering
Continuous Systems Engineering applies the principle of continuous evolution to the wider engineering lifecycle.
Instead of treating requirements, architecture, implementation, verification, and operation as separate stages with isolated handovers, they become connected elements of a shared engineering context. Changes in one area can be understood in relation to their effects on the others.
This does not mean abandoning established Systems Engineering methods. Models, abstraction levels, traceability, and structured verification remain essential. The objective is to connect them more effectively with continuous development and operational feedback. A shared engineering context can help teams:
- understand the impact of changes across disciplines,
- preserve relationships between engineering decisions and their implementation,
- provide relevant context for reviews and verification,
- connect system-level intent with continuous software development,
- and use AI on the basis of structured, traceable engineering information.
AI Needs Engineering Context
The two NEXT HORIZONS presentations address different aspects of the same challenge.
AI can help engineers navigate requirements, identify relationships, and access relevant knowledge. But useful engineering assistance requires more than isolated documents or unstructured collections of data. AI needs context that reflects the actual structure and dependencies of the system.
Continuous Systems Engineering provides a corresponding foundation by keeping requirements, architectures, implementation artifacts, verification results, and operational information connected.
Together, these perspectives point toward an engineering environment in which models do more than describe a system at a particular point in time. They provide a continuously evolving context for collaboration, analysis, and decision-making.
Join the Discussion at NEXT HORIZONS 2026
NEXT HORIZONS brings together experts and decision-makers working on the future of software-defined systems.
The event takes place on November 17 and 18, 2026, at the Vector headquarters in Stuttgart and includes keynotes, technical presentations, deep dives, networking, and an exhibition.
Meet Martin Melicher and Marcelino Varas and explore how AI-powered Requirements Engineering, MBSE, and Continuous Systems Engineering can contribute to a more connected engineering lifecycle.