AFIS

The Association Française d'Ingénierie Système (AFIS) is a French non-profit association (association loi de 1901) dedicated to the development and promotion of systems engineering in French industry and academia. It was founded in 1998 by thirteen major industrial groups — Alcatel Space, Alstom Transport, Dassault Aviation, EADS Airbus, EADS Matra Systèmes d'Information, EDF R&D, France Telecom, GIAT Industries, PSA Peugeot Citroën, RATP, SNECMA Control Systems, Technicatome and Thales — several of which have since changed name or structure. Its members are both organizations (industrial groups, SMEs, and teaching and research organizations) and individuals. In 2023, its 38 member organizations represented sectors including aeronautics, automotive, transport, defense, manufacturing, energy, health and education. AFIS is affiliated by an exclusive agreement with the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the international systems engineering network, for which it acts as the French chapter. Its missions are to promote systems engineering by presenting and explaining its principles and multidisciplinary approach; to foster and ensure the development and use of systems engineering in public and private companies and state bodies; to promote systems engineering education across the educational community (students, teachers, training organizations, research laboratories); to encourage exchanges between users and thereby grow the systems engineering knowledge base while adapting it to the needs of different application sectors; and to ensure professional representation of systems engineering users at national, European and international level. AFIS argues that mastery of complex systems by industry is essential to maintaining and improving the position of French and European industry in the global market for large systems, whatever the domain. AFIS contributes to cross-industry research projects such as the ATLAS project. It publishes La Lettre de l'AFIS, a periodic newsletter on its events and projects; produces technical sheets (fiches techniques) on various systems engineering domains arising from the work of its technical committees; and collectively produces books and guides on key systems engineering themes including needs analysis, requirements writing, decision-making for complex system design, product lines, systems thinking, and Sustainable and Responsible Systems Engineering. Its activities include an annual congress (Congrès Annuel AFIS), itinerant thematic days (Journées Thématiques itinérantes), webinars, regional chapters (such as Ile-de-France and Occitanie), and international research workshops organized jointly with IEEE and INCOSE. The 2027 annual congress is announced for 12–14 January 2027 in the Toulouse region, and the AFIS-IEEE International Workshop on Systems Engineering Research continues as a recurring event. AFIS also runs community projects such as the Réseau AFIS and the MBV&V project, and events aimed at young researchers (Rencontres Jeunes Chercheuses et Chercheurs, RJC).

The Association Française d'Ingénierie Système (AFIS) was created in 1998 by thirteen major industrial groups: Alcatel Space, Alstom Transport, Dassault Aviation, EADS Airbus, EADS Matra Systèmes d'Information, EDF R&D, France Telecom, GIAT Industries, PSA Peugeot Citroën, RATP, SNECMA Control Systems, Technicatome and Thales. Several of these companies have since changed name or structure. The association was established as a non-profit under the French law of 1901. Since its creation, AFIS has been affiliated by an exclusive agreement with the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), the international systems engineering network, for which it represents the French chapter. This affiliation anchors AFIS in a global community while allowing it to serve French industrial and academic needs. Over the years, AFIS has grown into a membership organization comprising both organizations (industrial groups, SMEs, and teaching and research organizations) and individuals. By 2023, its 38 member organizations represented a broad range of industrial domains: aeronautics, automotive, transport, defense, manufacturing, energy, health and education. The association has contributed to cross-industry research projects such as the ATLAS project. AFIS carries out its mission through publications, events and technical committees. It publishes La Lettre de l'AFIS, a periodic newsletter on its events and projects; produces technical sheets (fiches techniques) on various systems engineering domains based on the work of its technical committees; and collectively produces books and guides on key systems engineering themes, including needs analysis, requirements writing, decision-making for complex system design, product lines, systems thinking, and Sustainable and Responsible Systems Engineering. Its event portfolio has expanded to include an annual congress, itinerant thematic days, webinars, regional chapters (such as Ile-de-France and Occitanie), and international research workshops organized jointly with IEEE and INCOSE. The AFIS Annual Congress 2027 is announced for 12–14 January 2027 in the Toulouse region, and the AFIS-IEEE International Workshop on Systems Engineering Research continues as a recurring event. AFIS also runs community projects such as the Réseau AFIS and the MBV&V project, and events aimed at young researchers (Rencontres Jeunes Chercheuses et Chercheurs, RJC).

• 2026

  AFIS-IEEE 2026 International Workshop on Systems Engineering Research opens submissions.

• 2023

  AFIS has 38 member organizations representing aeronautics, automotive, transport, defense, manufacturing, energy, health and education.

• 1998

  AFIS is created by thirteen major industrial groups.

• AFIS Annual Congress 2027 scheduled for 12–14 January 2027 in the Toulouse region.

AFIS positions itself as the French reference association for systems engineering, acting as the exclusive French chapter of INCOSE and bridging industry and academia to advance complex systems mastery.

• La Lettre de l'AFIS

  A periodic newsletter on AFIS events and projects.

• Technical sheets (fiches techniques)

  Technical sheets on various systems engineering domains, produced from the work of AFIS technical committees.

• Books and guides

  Collectively produced books and guides on key systems engineering themes: needs analysis, requirements writing, decision-making for complex system design, product lines, systems thinking, Sustainable and Responsible Systems Engineering.

1. 1AFIS - Association Française d'Ingénierie Systèmeafis.fr
2. 2Association française d'ingénierie systèmefr.wikipedia.org
3. 3AFISwikidata.org