Barriers for Adopting FMI-Based Co-Simulation in Industrial MBSE Processes

Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a growing paradigm for system development where models are the primary considered artefacts. However, MBSE often relies on semi-formal modelling languages and methods, limiting analytical capabilities. Co-Simulation is argued in the literature to be a promising technology in the simulation domain for integrating heterogeneous models in unified simulations. The most commonly used standard for Co-Simulation is currently the Functional-Mockup-Interface (FMI), supported by many tools in the industry. Recently there has been increasing interest in utilizing co-simulation in MBSE processes to enable simulation capabilities earlier in development, mainly via instantiating simulations using the FMI standard from system architecture views. This paper briefly argues the case for co-simulation for industrial MBSE and presents several barriers to integration from a holistic point of view. The paper highlights the need for further research and progress to improve the maturity of the industrial adoption for MBSE workflows while discussing the current outlook for FMI-based co-simulation orchestrated from architecture models.