Spotlight on Young Researchers: Smarter choices for complex systems

Describing his current research in one sentence and more on his background

“I build smart tools that help engineers design safer, more reliable systems—like satellites or medical devices—by combining the speed of AI with the rigour of formal verification.”

“My research is aimed to methodologies that make complex system design both smarter and safer. It started in my PhD studies with improving dependability in lower-limb exoskeletons for elderly rehabilitation—and now continues in postdoctoral research in automated satellite mission planning and designing. In both cases, the goal is the same: systems that perform reliably when real lives depend on them.”

On his research, peer to peer

“My research focuses on integrating formal verification techniques with AI-driven design space exploration to enable the safe and efficient synthesis of complex cyber-physical systems. Within the CORE VARIANCE project, I develop workflows that combine variability modelling, automated architecture generation, and multidisciplinary optimization to support early-stage design decisions. By embedding formal analysis into the exploration loop, the approach enables scalable yet dependable system design—bridging the gap between performance optimization and assurance. Applications include satellite mission planning, but the methodology generalizes to safety-critical domains where traceability, explainability, and trustworthiness are essential from the ground up.”

Impressions of working with industry

“In my experience, working with industry means dealing with strict deadlines, budgets, and certification requirements. Decisions must be practical and fast, even if that means accepting suboptimal solutions. In academia, there is more room to explore, question assumptions, and aim for deeper understanding. In industry, it is critical that methods are usable and results are explainable; theoretical elegance alone is not enough. I value how industry collaboration sharpens priorities: if something cannot scale or be trusted under real conditions, it will not survive beyond a prototype.”

How industry benefits from collaboration with academia and vice versa

“Industry benefits from collaboration by gaining access to new methods, technologies, and perspectives that are not yet available commercially. Public research brings deeper analysis, broader exploration, and long-term thinking that can de-risk innovation. In turn, researchers benefit by confronting real-world constraints, such as limited data, cost pressures, and deployment challenges. This feedback keeps research focused on practical, scalable solutions rather than idealized scenarios. Working together also shortens the path from theory to application, helping both sides build systems that are not only smarter, but truly usable and dependable.”

Mentor with an impact

“Prof. Nafisa Yusupova – she opened the world to students and young researchers by building international partnerships at my alma mater – Ufa State Aviation Technical University. Because of her, an entire wave of scientists and engineers, including me, launched their journeys beyond Russia and into global research careers.”