This field is expanding. With the access of handling big-data and advanced signal processing techniques, mostly the shift is towards artificial intelligence. But it varies from system to system. I can suggest some articles:
1. Application of digital platforms in the maintenance procedures i.e. Digital Twin, Data science, AI, ML, IIoT, Industry 4.0, AR,VR, Simulations to achieve the predictive maintenance over other maintenance procedures (planned/Unplanned)
2. Concept of Reliability Management through data science skills, data exploration and with continual improvement in planning, scheduling, forecasting, precessing, human and maintenance resources with respect to optimise/ reduce the maintenance costs, enhance the performance, real-time data analysis and prediction for failures.
3. Analysis of failures(FRACAS, FMEA, FAULT TREE, CAUSE & EFFECT etc) through ML/AI based ready solutions & further Database improvement to make future decision.
4. Integrated approach towards complete maintenance management cycle starting from Strategy to Execution with feedback of improvement keeping the environment of Reliability throughout.
It is also to ensure further avoidance of any maintenance management failures while following through RCM, RAM, CMMS or others Reliability Approaches.
I think this trend relates to our needs and we should focus on our requirements. For example in developed countries the digital and smart systems have been applied in engineering systems, thus reliability engineers should solve their problems such AI, big data, expert software, industry 4.0, digital twinges, dynamic behavior and dependencies among sub-systems.
but in other countries, research in principles should be conducted and reliability culture is be developed. Therefore reliability modelling, reliability tests and similar subjects are useful.
For researchers , I suggest that read the following paper;
Industry 4.0: Some Challenges and Opportunities for Reliability Engineering, Farsi, M., Zio, E. (2019). International Journal of Reliability, Risk and Safety: Theory and Application, 2(1), 23-34.
DOI: 10.30699/IJRRS.2.1.4
Finally, i invite my colleagues to submit their paper about this field in IJRRS.