Mr Ivan Mactaggart

Ivan is a Part-time self-funding post grad research student exploring the complexity of functions of complex systems. Ivan’s research began with his involvement in the development of a reusable architecture of generic functions for a specific class of product. Building on this foundation, he sought out opportunities that would deepen his understanding of system performance, which led to work on high-performance unmanned platforms. More recently, roles within a nationally significant complex infrastructure programme have further stimulated his curiosity about the nature of human designed systems and ways of understanding them. Specifically, this curiosity has become interlinked with an increasing drive to think about how to integrate artificial intelligence technologies and complex data management into the design and operations of these systems

Professional biography

Outside of his research project Ivan is a Chartered Engineer with over 30 years’ experience in Engineering and Business Leadership roles across multiple industries including, the highly regarded animal-inspired robotics scale-up Animal Dynamics, MBDA Missile Systems, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Atomic Weapons Establishment. He is currently Head of Engineering: Systems & Digital at East West Rail, a major infrastructure delivery programme of significant national importance that will link Oxford and Cambridge.

Ivan holds an Open University BSc (focusing on Systems Thinking and Engineering) and a MSc in Systems Engineering for Defence Capability from Cranfield University. Ivan has significant Systems Engineering experience across a wide technical portfolio, although specifically specialising in the identification, development, implementation of Engineering & Digital Capability, including Digital Transformation. Ivan is a Past President of the Institute for Systems Engineering (IfSE, 2016-18), he is a former Chair of the IfSE Advisory Board.  Ivan is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and a former member of the Engineering Council Quality Assurance Committee. Ivan has been a member of several university Systems Engineering Advisory Boards and the OU Engineering & Innovation Industry Advisory Committee, He was formerly the Industry Advisor to the Open University Engineering & Innovation Board of Studies. Ivan is a Freeman of the City of London and Liveryman in the Worshipful Company of Engineers.

 Conference papers:

EWR Digital Spine: delivering a modern, efficient, resilient and future-ready digitally enabled railway (Permanent Way Institute Seminar 2015)

A perspective on harmonising data (COMIT 2024)

Analysis of functional reference architecture through an industry lens (ICED21)

Animal Inspired Robotics & The Art of Systems: Implementing Model-based Systems Engineering in a high-tech start up (IfSE ASEC 2020)

Agile Systems Engineering (INCOSE International Symposium 2016)

Finding the 0.01%: A systems analysis of the England Rugby Player Pathway (IfSE ASEC 2015)

Improving decision-making & management by thinking about the enterprise through multiple dimensions (IEEE International SysCon 2013)

Developing systems understanding using virtual learning environments (IfSE ASEC 2012)