Certus: an organizational effort towards research-based innovation in software verification and validation

Abstract

What is gratifying to a software engineering researcher? Three of many possible answers to this question are (a) the intellectual exercise in developing/disseminating approaches that address emerging and existing challenges, (b) recognition from impact in a community of researchers and (c) widespread use of novel ideas, including software, in the society at large leading to enhancement of human ability and job creation. A culmination of these sources requires an organizational effort. This article presents a detailed account of a research-based innovation centre, Certus, to facilitate such a culmination for software engineering researchers. Certus has established a body of knowledge, methods and tools for the validation and verification of software systems in the Norwegian private and public sector. Certus works in close cooperation with five founding user partners and is hosted by the Simula Research Laboratory. We present the organizational structure of Certus and describe how Certus’s life and health is planned and evaluated on a regular basis as a research-based innovation centre. We expound two successful collaborations, with (a) the private sector entity Cisco systems, Norway and (b) the public sector entity the Norwegian Customs and Excise. We hope that this document will serve as a basis to encourage national/international funding schemes to create call for proposals for long-term research-based innovation centres. This, we believe, is one way to justify use of tax payers resources in creating a win–win situation for the triple helix: government, researchers and industry.