Alexander Efremov
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The Three Missions
Employability & Systems Thinking Curricula
Challenge: Universities teach Engineering physics perfectly. But graduates often lack the "Systems Thinking" capability—how to integrate disciplines, manage requirements, and handle lifecycle complexity. Employers have to retrain them for years.

Solution: Curriculum Transformation. I help you design modern Systems Engineering courses (Bachelor/Master/Continuing Education). We bring real industrial cases into the classroom. Result: Your graduates get offers before they even defend their thesis.

Reference: Herzog et al. (2018) (SAAB/KTH Case).
Managing Interdisciplinary Complexity (Horizon Europe)
Challenge: Modern grants (e.g., Horizon Europe) demand cross-functional research (e.g., "AI impact on Social Dynamics"). But Engineers, Sociologists, and Data Scientists speak different languages. Projects stall in misunderstandings.

Solution: Systems Engineering as a Common Language. I help you set up the project architecture. We define interfaces between disciplines just like we do for aircraft subsystems. This turns a loosely coupled group of experts into a high-performance research team.

Reference: Dalton et al. (2022).
Crossing the "Valley of Death"
Challenge: Researchers often fall in love with their solution ("Look at this cool sensor!") without validating the market problem. This leads to innovations that win medals but fail commercially.

Solution: I mentor research teams to treat the "Market" as a system with requirements. We validate the Need before building the Prototype. I help researchers translate their scientific dialect into a Value Proposition that investors understand.

Reference: Klitsie et al. (2019).
Cross-Industrial Cases
Experience from High-Tech and Safety-Critical Industries
Lab Concept & Strategy
Systems Engineering Demo-Lab
Challenge: The client needed a physical environment to demonstrate complex "Digital Twin" technologies to partners, bridging the gap between abstract slides and tangible proof.
Solution: Designed the complete architecture for a Systems Engineering Demonstration Lab. Defined hardware/software stacks and orchestrated the partnership between the automotive consultancy and technology vendors.
Result: Lab Concept Approved & MoA Signed.
Corporate Strategy
Global R&D Operating Model Transformation
Challenge: A major Engineering Organization (400+ staff) faced stagnating velocity due to rigid, "Ivory Tower" processes. The central strategy team was viewed as "Compliance Police," causing massive internal friction and "Shadow Engineering."
Solution: Architected and executed a complete R&D Strategy overhaul. Shifted the operating model from "Enforcement" to "Enablement." Implemented a lean Systems Engineering framework where operational teams held veto rights on new processes.
Result: Cultural Turnaround & Process Adoption.
Train the Trainer
Modern MBSE Toolchains
Challenge: University curricula often lag behind industry tooling. Professors teach theory, but lack practical fluency in modern Model-Based Design environments, leaving graduates unprepared.
Solution: Conducted specialised technical workshops for University Lecturers and Professors. Demonstrated how to integrate industry-grade simulation and modelling into academic courses.
Result: Curriculum Modernised with MBSE Tools
Research Valorization
From "Researcher" to "System Architect"
Challenge: Scientific staff often struggle to communicate the value of their innovations to non-experts. Great ideas die because the "Customer Need" is not clearly defined in the grant application.
Solution: Mentored researchers to apply Systems Thinking to their own work: defining the "Market" as a System and their "Invention" as a Subsystem with clear requirements.
Result: Clear Value Proposition for Grant Applications.
Let's make Science work for the Real World
Whether you want to launch a cutting-edge Engineering course or turn your research group into an innovation powerhouse—I bring the industrial methodology to support your academic vision.
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Alexander Efremov

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