Accelerating risk analysis through models

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SystemX has developed OpenAltarica, a reference software platform to implement tools and methods for risk analysis of critical complex systems (aeronautics, railways, nuclear, etc.). It is based on model-driven design and offers dynamic modelling of failures.

Systems are becoming more and more complex and their safety is becoming a major concern for industries. IRT SystemX has developed the OpenAltaRica platform to support engineering teams in the design of the future systems, integrating the safety constraint. This reference platform provides access to a high-level modelling language – AltaRica 3.0 – dedicated to risk analysis and based on the Model Based Safety Assessment (MBSA) method.
OpenAltaRica is thus positioned as close as possible to system descriptions and could ultimately lead to a reduction in costs related, for example, to design or maintenance activities, which are frequently im-pacted by the risk of errors. Integration with other fields of engineering is also simplified for better information sharing between all stakeholders. Since its availability, the OpenAltaRica platform has been downloaded more than 400 times by the community of its users. It is operated by renowned manufacturers such as Apsys, Thales and Safran.

The OpenAltaRica platform is the result of a very rewarding collaboration with the academic sector, and more particularly with the AltaRica association, dedicated to the development of model science and modelling for system engineering. The work carried out reflects the institute’s ability to ensure the transfer of academic work to the industrial sector.

Michel Batteux, OpenAltaRica Project Manager, IRT SystemX

Interview

Antoine RAUZY

President of the AltaRica Association, Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

What did OpenAltaRica bring to the operations safety teams ?

The advances are considerable. The OpenAltaRica platform has created a real pool of scientific and technical knowledge in the field of model-based risk analysis. Our work has led to significant progress in the area of operational safety and has made France a world leader in this field. Our research has also led to the development of effective solutions for carrying out dependability studies of complex systems. The platform has positioned itself as a reference on the subject and as a tool that can be directly industrialised. Finally, we have, on our own scale, supported the increase in skills of the operational safety community thanks to the numerous dissemination activities we have carried out.

How did you contribute to the development of this platform?

Behind OpenAltaRica, there is a team on a human scale. The exchanges were very rich, we all brought theoretical solutions and participated in the development of the platform and in the conduct of experiments. For my part, I brought my scientific culture and my general knowledge in fields related to mathematics, systems engineering and operational safety. I also contributed to the platform’s development activities.

What do you take away from your collaboration with IRT SystemX?

I am convinced that an intermediary between the academic world and industry is essential to disseminate the results of scientific research to the industrial world on the one hand, and to convey the needs and expectations of industrialists to researchers on the other. IRT SystemX has played this role throughout the development of the OpenAltaRica platform.