The MZB‑IDEA project, carried out from 1 April 2019 to 31 December 2022 under the funding reference FZK20Y1712J, aimed to create a modular, certifiable operating system that could be integrated into a comprehensive design and development environment for aerospace applications. The core technical outcome was the extension of SYSGO’s separation‑kernel architecture to support efficient Design Assurance Level A (DAL‑A) and security certification. By analysing interference interpretation and configuration analysis, the team ensured that performance and worst‑case execution time (WCET) remained within acceptable bounds throughout the partitioning process. The work built on the proven PikeOS platform, which is already deployed in aviation, automotive and rail sectors, and incorporated the Multiple Independent Levels of Safety (MILS) concept from the EURO‑MILS project to enable flight‑worthy mixed‑critical systems.

Standardisation efforts were a key focus. SYSGO presented threat‑analysis techniques based on ISO 15408 (Common Criteria) and demonstrated how PikeOS meets the security objectives required for aerospace use. The team also addressed cyber‑security aspects of other aviation standards, notably DO‑356 (2014) and its successor DO‑356A (2018), and shared these findings in IDEA workshops. In addition, the project explored the transition from graphical user interfaces to XML‑based domain interfaces, discussing how system integrators can model and verify these interfaces. A particular challenge was reconciling the separation of the Platform Support Package (PSP) and Application Support Package (ASP) from a system‑integration perspective with their close coupling in hardware‑software interface models used by end users.

The project’s technical deliverables included a set of guidelines for applying separation kernels in the design of safety‑critical avionics, a framework for integrating MILS partitioning into the development lifecycle, and a set of best‑practice documents for achieving ISO 15408 and DO‑356 compliance. Workshops held with partners from avionics and space sectors, as well as a session with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), helped validate the approach and refine the integration strategy. The performance analysis conducted during TP1 kept WCET and system throughput under continuous scrutiny, ensuring that the proposed partitioning did not introduce unacceptable latency.

Collaboration was broad and multidisciplinary. SYSGO led the technical development and coordinated the workshops, drawing on its experience in partitioning and cyber‑security. Partners included system manufacturers and OEMs, Tier‑1 suppliers, service providers, technology suppliers, universities and research institutes, all contributing domain expertise, application cases, and cross‑cutting topics such as functional safety and cyber‑security. The project was structured into four work packages: product development (TP1), domain interfaces (TP2), application cases (TP3), and cross‑cutting topics (TP4), with overlapping timelines that allowed iterative refinement of the toolchain and methodology. The overall goal of the IDEA umbrella project was to deliver an integrated avionics development environment aligned with Flightpath 2050, and MZB‑IDEA’s results represent a significant step toward that objective by providing a certifiable, modular operating system foundation that supports the entire lifecycle of safety‑critical embedded systems.