During my recent trip to Korea, I had the opportunity to meet with the teams from the Korean Railway Research Institute (KRRI) and talk with them about the support Obeo and LOTUS Technologies are providing as they embark on a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) journey with Capella.
KRRI develops world-class railway technologies, such as autonomous driverless trains, advanced energy management units (EMU), battery-powered wireless trams, ultra-speed hyper tubes running at 1,000 kilometers per hour, and integrated surveillance and control systems for real-time railway safety.
In the era of carbon neutrality and digital transformation, KRRI must also tackle the challenges faced by the global railway industry, such as real-time safety management, predictive maintenance, infrastructure electrification, and smart control systems, while integrating innovations like IoT, artificial intelligence, and big data.
Meeting these challenges requires rethinking engineering practices, and this is where MBSE provides a solid foundation by creating a digital engineering backbone that supports integrated modeling, traceability, simulation, and alignment across all lifecycle stages.
That is why the collaboration between Obeo and LOTUS makes so much sense. With Obeo bringing deep expertise in Capella and MBSE methodologies, and LOTUS providing strong local presence and cultural understanding, KRRI benefits from both advanced technology and tailored support for their transformation.
One great illustration of this joint effort was KRRI’s participation in the Australasian Simulation Congress in Adelaide last August. With over 500 experts in modeling and simulation attending, the event gave KRRI representatives an invaluable opportunity to learn from international peers and connect with Australian systems engineers already applying MBSE to large-scale infrastructure projects.
For me, these kinds of exchanges are what make our work meaningful: seeing how open-source solutions like Capella, combined with local and methodological support, can help organizations move forward in their digital engineering journey.
Our collaboration with KRRI and LOTUS is still at an early stage, but it already highlights the importance of combining technical expertise, methodological guidance, and local anchoring to successfully transition towards MBSE.