Author Archives: Niklas Grabbe

In an effort to bring together FRAM practitioners and researchers, we are excited to announce FRAM Fridays, a recurring online meeting for the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM).

Held every two months, these are free one-hour sessions designed to strengthen connections within the existing FRAMily community, and to open the door to new researchers, students, scholars, and industry practitioners who use FRAM but may not have been part of annual FRAMily gatherings

What to expect:
🔹 Research presentations
🔹 Paper discussions
🔹 Methodological deep-dives
🔹 Software demonstrations
🔹 FRAM model “surgeries” (bring your model, get feedback!)
🔹 Project updates
🔹 Student & early-career researcher spotlights
🔹 Real-world FRAM applications from industry

Whether you’re a seasoned FRAM practitioner, starting to explore the method, or looking for a great idea for a university project/thesis/dissertation, this is a space to learn, share, and connect with others thinking about complex systems and performance variability.

📆 First session: Friday, September 25th at 1pm Central European Time
💻 Format: Online, 1 hour, every 2 months
🎤 Hosted by: James Norman

Interested in joining or presenting at a future session? Reach out directly — we’d love to have you!

FRAM was represented at the Safety Management Summit Brazil 2026 in São Paulo through an international panel with Moacyr Machado Cardoso Junior, James Norman, and Josué Eduardo Maia França, moderated by Ronaldo Wajnberg Gamermann.

The presentation “Data-Driven Resonance: Assessing Runway Overrun Risk” explored how FRAM can be combined with quantitative Flight Data Monitoring data to analyse performance variability and support the anticipation of runway overrun risk.

This is a valuable example of how FRAM and Safety-II can contribute to understanding everyday adjustments and supporting safer, more resilient aviation operations.

Well done to everyone involved!

From 10 to 14 August 2026, 16 participants from seven countries came together at the Technical University of Munich for the first International Summer School on Systems Modelling.

SysMod 2026 combined systems thinking, FRAM, STAMP/STPA, quantitative FRAM approaches, and dynamic systems modelling with practical exercises, interdisciplinary teamwork, and open discussion.

Explore the SysMod Summer School: sysmod-summerschool.lfe.ed.tum.de

A Common Modelling Challenge

Throughout the week, participants worked with a shared model of a closed-loop space colony consisting of five interacting subsystems: air, water, energy, food, and recycling.

Teams extended the common model to explore:

• Medical Support and Quarantine Management
• Risk Assessment and Disaster Prevention
• Robot-Based Transport, Logistics, and Recycling
• Crew Wellbeing and Sleep Quality

Different Perspectives on One System

The final presentations showed how different disciplinary perspectives can produce distinct and equally valuable insights into the same complex socio-technical system.

A central theme in the participant feedback was the value of learning by doing. Applying the methods directly, working in interdisciplinary teams, and comparing FRAM and STPA helped connect methodological concepts with practical modelling experience.

An International Learning Community

The formal programme was complemented by a Munich city tour, a shared dinner, a beer garden visit, and many informal conversations.

These exchanges were an important part of the Summer School and supported connections across disciplines, countries, and methodological backgrounds.

Thank You

Thank you to all participants for their engagement, questions, ideas, and collaborative contributions.

Continuing in 2027

The feedback from SysMod 2026 confirmed strong interest in practical education on systems modelling, resilience engineering, and socio-technical systems analysis.

The next edition is currently planned for Norway in 2027.

See you at SysMod 2027!

The conversations from the FRAMily Meeting & Workshop 2026 continue. Proceedings, presentation slides, and event photos are now available online.

Explore the Proceedings

The official proceedings bring together the abstracts presented during the meeting as well as summaries of the workshop discussions and outcomes.

The publication documents current FRAM applications, ideas, methodological developments, and topics for future community exchange.

Read the Proceedings: https://lnkd.in/eNNNQJDR

View the Slides and Photos

Presentation slides and event photos are available through the Media section of the event website.

View the Event Materials: https://lnkd.in/eZZPDSak

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the meeting through presentations, workshops, discussions, facilitation, organisation, and participation.

We hope these materials support continued learning, collaboration, and exchange across the international FRAM community.

See you at the next FRAMily!

A new book dedicated to the Functional Resonance Analysis Method is now available: Navigating the FRAM: Mastering the Functional Resonance Analysis Method for Modelling Complex Socio-Technical Systems .

The book brings together international perspectives on FRAM, resilience engineering, complex work, performance variability, and the modelling of socio-technical systems.

It provides readers with insights into the foundations, development, interpretation, and application of FRAM across research and practice.

Book Launch Event

The official book launch was organised as an international webinar featuring the editor and selected contributors.

During the webinar, the speakers introduced key ideas from the book and discussed how FRAM can support:

• The modelling and understanding of complex work
• The analysis of performance variability
• The exploration of functional dependencies and interactions
• The understanding and development of resilient performance
• Applications across different industries and socio-technical domains
• The continued methodological development of FRAM

The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on the evolving role of FRAM within resilience engineering and complex systems analysis.

Watch the Launch Webinar

A recording of the book launch is available through the International Ergonomics Association webinar series.

The webinar brings together the editor and contributing experts to present selected perspectives from the book, discuss practical applications, and consider future directions for FRAM research and practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjivCwE8os&t=11s Watch IEA Webinar #65: Navigating the FRAM

About the Book

Navigating the FRAM explores how the Functional Resonance Analysis Method can be used to model complex socio-technical systems, understand everyday work, examine functional variability, and support resilient performance.

The volume brings together contributions from researchers and practitioners and reflects the continuing development of FRAM across domains, methodological perspectives, and application contexts.

Further information about the book, its contents, contributors, and purchasing options is available from Routledge and CRC Press.

Explore Further Book Information: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003518167