Beyond the JOULE: What Building an Electric Car Taught Us About Systems Engineering

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0200

Many engineers dream of developing a product that changes the world, yet few have the opportunity to take an idea from a blank sheet of paper to a working vehicle. The JOULE electric car was South Africa’s bold attempt to do exactly that.

In this talk, Gerhard Swart, co-founder and CTO of Optimal Energy, reflects on the rise and fall of the JOULE and the lessons it offers Systems Engineers today. From a handful of engineers with a vision, to a team of more than one hundred people developing a world-class electric vehicle, the project became an extraordinary exercise in innovation, leadership, complexity management, and perseverance.

Delivering MeerKAT+ Science via Systems Engineering

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:30:00 +0200

MeerKAT, a precursor to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), marks a significant milestone in radio astronomy. Its capabilities are being further extended through the MeerKAT+ programme, delivering enhanced imaging sensitivity and resolution at centimetre wavelengths.

In this session, Dr Cristobal Bordiu, an astrophysicist and researcher at the INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, explored how these capabilities enable deeper exploration of complex astrophysical phenomena, including pulsar timing, mapping the Galactic centre, and the continued search for extraterrestrial signals.

Event Register on INCOSE South Africa Chapter

Beyond the JOULE: What Building an Electric Car Taught Us About Systems Engineering

Delivering MeerKAT+ Science via Systems Engineering