Systems Council Newsletter: Q2 2026 President's Message

It has been three months since my last message, and I am pleased to share several important updates on the Systems Council’s recent progress.

In April, the IEEE Systems Council held its Spring AdCom meetings in Halifax, Canada, immediately following IEEE SYSCON 2026. Dalhousie University hosted this year’s flagship conference, which was a tremendous success thanks to the efforts of Professor Richard Evans. The AdCom meetings, also hosted by Dalhousie University, were highly productive. During my visit, I was also featured in an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session hosted by Dalhousie University’s Digital Transformation Department.

In collaboration with IEEE Entrepreneurship, the IEEE Hard Tech Venture Summit was held at SRI’s historic Menlo Park laboratory, bringing together early-stage innovators, venture capitalists, and angel investors to address the challenges of scaling hard-tech startups. Unlike software companies, hard-tech ventures rely on physical engineering breakthroughs, such as robotics, semiconductors, aerospace, and biotechnology, which require longer development cycles and involve greater technical risk.

Chaired by Bruno Iafelice and supported by IEEE Entrepreneurship and the IEEE Systems Council, the two-day summit helped bridge the gap between laboratory research and commercial production. The program included pitch sessions and discussions on manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and clean energy. Investors from organizations including Bosch Ventures, Samsung Next, and Yamaha Motor Ventures participated, helping founders build valuable long-term relationships.

In May, I completed a strategic, multi-city engagement tour across India to expand chapter activity, strengthen academic and industry partnerships, and promote global entrepreneurship. The tour focused on growing the Systems Council community and advancing systems thinking within India’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem. Please refer to the separate article, “Building Momentum Across India,” for additional details.

Looking ahead, the 12th IEEE International Symposium on Systems Engineering (IEEE ISSE 2026) will take place September 22–24, 2026, in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The symposium will provide an interactive forum for advancing systems engineering across the many disciplines involved in complex systems.

We will also co-locate the Systems Council AdCom meetings with this event, followed by the annual Systems Council Chapter Summit. Several chapter chairs have already confirmed their attendance.

Finally, the 6th IEEE International Conference on Recent Advances in Systems Science and Engineering (IEEE RASSE 2026) will be held November 27–29, 2026. The conference will be hosted by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

IEEE RASSE 2026 offers an excellent opportunity to present your work to a global audience, with all accepted papers submitted to IEEE Xplore and opportunities for publication in special issues. Attendees will hear from leading experts through keynote presentations and industry forums and explore emerging topics such as digital twins and autonomous systems. The event also provides valuable networking opportunities with peers from leading institutions.

Held in Chengdu, China, the conference will help expand the Systems Council’s community in China while offering participants a chance to publish in a prestigious venue and contribute to shaping the future of systems engineering.

I look forward to seeing you at IEEE ISSE 2026 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, this September.