Cyber-Physical-Social Systems (CPSS) represent a broad range of future complex, multidisciplinary, physically and societally aware next-generation engineered systems that integrate embedded computing technologies (cyber part) into the physical world taking social and human considerations. A typical scenario is the future CPSS in Energy where smart grids integrate with social, economic and environmental models to form an energy eco-system that is vital to the future of industry, economy, society and nature. Such setting results in enormously increased complexity which requires an innovative way of thinking in dealing with their modelling, control and optimisation with efficiency and effectiveness.

In this talk, we will first outline some recent developments in CPSS and their technological challenges. We will then discuss a potential ‘simplexity’ problem solving paradigm which advocates simple solutions for complex problems. The implications of adopting such paradigm in dealing with complexity in CPSS will be discussed, and some potential future methodologies inspired by nature will be speculated. Real-world cases, including some of our own research, will be used as case studies.