Engineering with Values

Value-based Engineering (VBE) is a certifiable, human-centered approach to ethical system design – standardized in ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000. It helps organizations turn values into system requirements and align innovation with social responsibility.

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Join our Training Program

Value-based Engineering (VBE) is standardized in ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000 Model Process for Addressing Ethical Concerns During System Design.

It is a highly practical, tested and certifiable approach to human-centered engineering. It makes organizations aware of the human and social challenges but also supreme innovation opportunities inherent in their IT systems. It is a successor of Value Sensitive Design and provides tangible substance to those who commit to Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR).

VBE provides a structured and transparent way to translate value principles into IT system requirements ensuring that product management and technical units collaborate towards stakeholder value, minimal risk and legal compliance. Read the snapshot article from the IEEE Technology & Society Magazine or, in German, our overview in Informatik Spektrum.

Comprehensive hands-on Introduction

Get introduced to the VBE framework and how it allows for ethical, value-driven innovation. Discover the underlying ethical foundations that shape responsible design within VBE.

Standard application and personnel certification

Look into AI and especially Machine Learning and understand why it is a powerful technology that comes with pitfalls.

Understand the link to
the EU's AI Act

See how VBE and ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000 align with the EU AI Act, supporting your organization to stay compliant with emerging regulations.

Access tools and
materials

Get a copy of the VBE Handbook and digital access to over 200+ PowerPoint slides, 70+ graphics, and forms that make implementing VBE in your organization seamless.

Course Overview

day 1

Introduction to Value-based Engineering, VBE Phase 1: Concept and Context Exploration

Morning:
- Welcome & Introduction
- Challenges of Digitalization, Why VBE?
- Fundamentals of VBE
- The 10 Principles of VBE
Afternoon:
- Principles (continued), Ecosystem Responsibility
- Concept & Context of Operations
- Q&A

day 2

Values and Ethical Foundations, VBE Phase 2: Value Exploration

Morning:
- The Concept of Value in Business
- The Value Language of VBE, Value Exploration (incl. workshop & review)
Afternoon:
- Introduction to Utilitarianism (incl. workshop & review)
- Introduction to Virtue Ethics (incl. workshop & review)
- Q&A

day 3

From Values to Requirements, VBE Phase 3: Ethically Aligned Design

Morning:
- Introduction to Deontology (incl. workshop & review)
- Clustering of Values
- Prioritization and Conceptual Analysis
Afternoon:
- Definition of Ethical Value Requirements (EVR)
- Deriving Requirements
- Transparency Management
- VBE in the Context of AI Governance with ISO/IEC 42001
- Q&A

day 4

Review, Repetition, and Q&A (0.5 days)

Review of Key Concepts from Days 1–3
Group Discussion: Lessons Learned and Open Questions
Guidance on the structure of the certification exam

Shape the Future of Responsible Tech

Why you should choose this program

Our Ambassador training equips you with essential skills in Value-based Engineering (VBE), providing a strong foundation to incorporate ethical and social values into your projects. Guided by the IEEE 7000 standard, this training offers practical tools, expert insights, and a certification that sets you apart in a rapidly evolving field.

Whether you’re an engineer, product manager, or ethics enthusiast, our program enables you to make informed, responsible decisions that align with emerging regulatory standards and societal expectations.

Comprehensive Introduction to Value-based Engineering (VBE)

Get introduced to the VBE framework and how it allows for ethical, value-driven innovation.

Insights into Value Philosophy

Discover the underlying ethical foundations that shape responsible design within VBE.

Guide to applying and certifying with ISO/IEC/IEEE 24748-7000 (IEEE 7000)

Understand how this crucial standard can be applied within your organization and get an overview of future certification possibilities

Understanding the Connection to ermerging legislation, like the European Union’s AI Act

See how VBE and IEEE 7000 align with the EU AI Act, supporting your organization to stay compliant with emerging regulations.

Hands-on Experience Through Case Studies, including AI cases

Practice the VBE methodology with hands-on exercises and receive personalized feedback to strengthen your skills.

Receive the DeGruyter Handbook and Access exclusive tools

Get a copy of the Handbook and digital access to over 200+ PowerPoint slides, 70+ graphics, and structured sheets that make implementing VBE in your organization seamless.

Preparation for “VBE Ambassador” certification

Get all the introduction to and material you need for your personal certification with Austrian Standards as “VBE Ambassador”.

Who should attend?

Practitioners with basic knowledge looking to deepen their expertise in developing social and ethical systems

Engineers, product managers, and designers aiming to champion ethical system design within their teams

Ethics and compliance professionals ready to drive ethical practices across projects

Leaders seeking to embed values into product development and organizational strategy

Practitioners with basic knowledge looking to deepen their expertise in developing social and ethical systems

Engineers, product managers, and designers aiming to champion ethical system design within their teams

Ethics and compliance professionals ready to drive ethical practices across projects

Leaders seeking to embed values into product development and organizational strategy

Meet our Trainers

Sarah Spiekermann

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Mario Tokarz

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Matthäus Bulgarini

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What our students say

Digital ethics and sustainability coupled with the Value-based Engineering course are essential for any business not wanting to leave their AI and digital developments to chance. Building an ethics by design through Value-based Engineering is a great foundation for any team looking to innovate well and to build better. Doing these courses have undergirdaed and provided state of the art foundations and academic rigour to my current practice, and given me a stable methodology on which to help my clients’ in their ex-ante design and development needs to build better AI and digital products which are regulation-ready and for the benefit of humanity.

Aligning IT and AI with values. A highly topical subject. The Value Based Engineering training provided by the VBE Academy team provides a fascinating combination of a philosophical approach to values and very practical implementation in system design. Many examples are used to illustrate how the entire process works. Prof. Spiekermann presents the topics in a very engaging and likeable way. The training is rounded off with sound support from coaches. I can only warmly recommend the VBE training course to anyone who is concerned about ethics in the IT world.

Getting Certified

We help getting you ready

Our training lays the optimal foundation to get your expertise certified. Our course covers the full theory for the Austrian standards Value-based Engineering Ambassador Certification.

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