Standards Gaps for Enabling Model Interoperability for MBSE in a Digital Engineering Context

Abstract Model‐Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is the modern practice of systems engineering in which descriptive models supplant documents as the formal embodiment of SE knowledge. MBSE is often performed within very localized contexts, creating models that inform their immediate stakeholders but not necessarily suitable for broader use or reuse. However, if the models are intended to serve wider purposes— e.g., to be more broadly used, reused, and federated to enable sharing of the information they contain— standards are needed to advance the quality, value, usability, and interoperability of those models, particularly when the intent is for the MBSE activity to contribute to and participate in a more comprehensive digital engineering (DE) ecosystem. This paper describes the problem of model interoperability in MBSE within a DE context and the role that standards could play in facilitating broader use, reuse, and federation of models to achieve greater value from those models. It also describes standards for model quality, content, usability, and interoperability that are needed to advance the MBSE integration maturity not only of individual organizations but also of the broader MBSE community at large.