Developing Cyber-Physical Systems as Entrepreneurs: Agile Development in Startups and SMEs

Authors

  • Thomas Alexander Völk Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  • Di Gao IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Tobias Düser IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
  • Albert Albers IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34190/ecie.20.1.3804

Keywords:

cyber-physical systems, agile development in start-ups, entrepreneurship with cyber-physical systems, problems of product development in CPS-startups, product development characteristics of CPS-startups

Abstract

As mechatronic systems evolve into cyber-physical systems (CPS) through IoT integration, start-ups face unique challenges in CPS development due to limited knowledge, resources, and time. Although they often adopt agile methods, this is typically done unconsciously. Prior research highlights four key problem areas: unclear entrepreneurial motivation, uncertainty in idea validation, resource-constrained prototyping, and low acceptance of tools and methods. Building on earlier exploratory studies, this paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 1,929 papers to analyse CPS engineering practices across start-ups, SMEs, and large enterprises. We identify the types of CPS developed, compare engineering approaches, and propose a framework to classify CPS projects by organizational type and system level. The study outlines best practices and key requirements for successful CPS development and offers guidance to support tailored toolkits for diverse development contexts.

Author Biographies

Di Gao, IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Di Gao, B. Sc., is a masters student in Management of Product Development at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). With her background in UI/UX design in several start-ups, she focussed on product development methodology in her masters degree.

Tobias Düser, IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tobias Düser has been head of the IPEK - Institute of Product Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since October 2022.

After his studies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and subsequent doctorate at IPEK - Institute of Product Engineering, Tobias Düser held various positions within the AVL Group in the field of innovative development and validation methods. In particular, he worked on novel automation and simulation solutions for test benches. Among other things, he was involved in the development of a new business area, the product portfolio and partner network in the area of Advanced Driver Assistant Systems as well as for Automated Driving. He was a member of the global ADAS/AD leadership circle and also intensively involved in global strategy development.

From 2015, he was responsible for the Advanced Solution Lab at AVL and head of the Karlsruhe branch office. In 2020, he additionally assumed global responsibility for ADAS/AD Virtual Testing Solutions. Tobias Düser and his team worked on virtual and XiL-based validation methods for the validation and testing of Advanced Driver Assistant systems as well as for Automated Driving.

Albert Albers, IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. h. c. Albert Albers has been Professor and Head of IPEK – Institute of Product Engineering at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology since 1996. He obtained his doctorate degree in 1987 under Prof. Paland at the Institute of Machine Elements and Engineering Design. Before Prof. Albers started his position in Karlsruhe he served as Head of the Development Department and as deputy member of the Executive Board. He is a founding member and chairman of the Scientific Association for Product Engineering (WiGeP) and a member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). Since 2008 he is president of the Allgemeiner Fakultätentag (AFT e. V.), the German General Faculty Association. From 2012 to 2015 Prof. Albers was the spokesman and review board member of the DFG Review-Board 402 (Mechanics and Constructive Mechanical Engineering). Along with his commitment to the Association of German Engineers, he serves on Advisory Boards of a number of companies. For his excellent accomplishments and expertise in science, research and education in technical and scientific areas, he and the IPEK-Team received the Honorary Award 2016 of the Schaeffler FAG Foundation.

ECIE Proceedings Cover

Downloads

Published

2025-09-19

Issue

Vol. 20 No. 1 (2025): The Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Section

Academic Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Thomas Alexander Völk, Di Gao, Tobias Düser, Albert Albers

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.