News
Google's Dave Kleidermacher to make keynote speech at HISC 2025
Posted on May 23, 2025
We’re excited to announce that Dave Kleidermacher, VP Engineering, Security and Privacy for Android and Made-by-Google Products and Services, will be our first keynote speaker at this year’s High Integrity Software Conference (HISC).
Addressing the topic of high assurance in Google connected products and AI, Dave’s keynote is a must-see on the HISC agenda.
Don’t miss the call for presentations (CfP) deadline – approaching fast!
For a chance to join Dave on this year's roster of HISC speakers, submit your presentation proposal before 31st May.
The Technical Tracks for this year are:
1. The application of Generative AI to the development of dependable software
2. Enhancing cybersecurity for critical applications
3. Novel tools & techniques
4. Challenges in global partnerships & large programmes
Key dates in the CfP process are:
- 31st May – Deadline for submissions
- 30th June – Notifications sent
- 31st October – Presentations submitted
- 13th November – Conference
Find more detail on the CfP process here.
Have you got your tickets to HISC?
HISC – sponsored by Adacore and Capgemini – will return to the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales on 13th November 2025. Its mission is to bring software engineering practitioners together to share their challenges, best practices and experiences. Our conference programme features high-quality content from experts in industry and academia who disseminate their knowledge of important and innovative techniques and methods that software engineers can apply in practice across industry sectors.
Register your attendance and find all the details on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities here.
Best Poster at HISC 2024: The transition to post-quantum cryptographic algorithms
Posted on October 29, 2024
Congratulations to Wrenna Robson from the University of Bristol for winning the best-in-class poster at the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) 2024 for the excellent and informative visualization of research and development into the transition to post-quantum cryptographic algorithms.
Wrenna's supervisor for this work is Professor François Dupressoir from the School of Computer Science, University of Bristol. Our 200+ delegates decided to award Wrenna the best poster title through an online vote taken throughout the day.
The Future Zone initiative for HISC 2024 aimed to bring more academic research on all aspects of high-assurance software to the conference. Due to the successful acceptance of multiple high-quality submissions and presentations, we can expect this to be a stable part of future HISC conferences!
Wrenna's poster can be found via the link below:
Best Poster at HISC 2024: The transition to post-quantum cryptographic algorithms, Wrenna Robson
“Expect to have a hard time deciding which talk to attend!” – Interview with Dr. Leonidas Kosmidis, Barcelona Supercomputing Center
Posted on September 17, 2024
The High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) – brought to you by AdaCore and Capgemini – is a unique gathering of software engineering practitioners from all safety critical domains.
With panels, exhibitions, and lightning talks from industry leaders, attendees will walk away with exclusive insights and important techniques applicable across industry sectors.
In this blog, Dr Leonidas Kosmidis, Senior Researcher at Barcelona Supercomputing Center and HISC speaker, shares his thoughts on the critical importance of software resilience and how the HISC fosters the strong collaboration our industry needs to achieve it.
"High Integrity Software" is the core theme of the conference. How will this focus address attendees’ biggest challenges and opportunities? Why is this theme so crucial in today’s technology landscape?
Our world is becoming increasingly software-defined, with more and more critical infrastructure depending on software. Recent events such as the CrowdStrike incident show the importance of high-integrity software, and the technologies presented in the conference will help achieve that.
What is the most disruptive technology impacting your and/or your clients’ businesses at the moment? What can conference-goers expect to find in the programme on the topic?
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are an essential performance-enabling hardware technology – increasingly considered for adoption in safety-critical systems to provide the performance required for autonomous operations.
However, programming GPUs requires error prone, low-level operations using unsafe languages, which creates a challenge with respect to high integrity.
The conference program includes several contributions on safe languages and their features, which can provide a viable path to the development, verification, and certification of systems dealing with these issues.
In what ways does the High Integrity Software Conference foster collaboration and networking among its attendees? Can you provide examples of past success stories or unique opportunities for professional growth that participants have experienced?
Unlike other conferences which focus on specific critical sectors (e.g. automotive, avionics, space etc.), HISC is a unique conference bringing together practitioners from all safety critical domains. In addition to its laid-back atmosphere and community feeling, it fosters cross-pollination and collaboration between different industries.
As a speaker, what are the key insights you expect attendees to take away from the event? And what are the most exciting slots on the agenda they won’t want to miss?
The event puts together a unique line up of speakers covering a wide range of high integrity solutions, providing the state of the art in this area. Don't miss the exciting keynotes and expect to have a hard time deciding which talk from the two parallel tracks you will attend!
I'm looking forward to the talks on safe languages, which are necessary for achieving high integrity. Specifically, ‘Rust for Certifiable Software: Bridging Communities’ from Jose Ruiz, Embedded Product Manager at AdaCore – as this language seems to be recently on the rise.
Register now for the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC).
Back for another year in a brand new, larger venue, the HISC will take place on Tuesday 22nd October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales.
In addition to sharing exclusive insights and opinions, cross-industry leaders will demonstrate state-of-the-art high assurance software throughout the conference exhibition space. Providing networking opportunities to form new collaborations and disseminate high integrity software-related research.
Register now to avoid disappointment.
“Increasing software dependence presents enormous opportunities for the high integrity sector” – Interview with Paul Butcher, AdaCore
Posted on September 06, 2024
The High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) – brought to you by AdaCore and Capgemini – unites key figures in the software engineering community to share the insights, experience, and know-how that will help build the foundations of a trustworthy software ecosystem for the future.
With panels, exhibitions, and lightning talks from industry leaders, attendees will walk away with exclusive insights and important techniques applicable across industry sectors.
In this blog, Paul Butcher, UK Programme Manager, Head of Dynamic Analysis at AdaCore, and HISC Programme Committee member, shares his programme highlights and explains why the HISC is a must if you’re looking for an action-packed agenda, brand new connections, and professional growth.
"High Integrity Software" is the core theme of the conference. How will this focus address attendees’ biggest challenges and opportunities? Why is this theme so crucial in today’s technology landscape?
While safety remains the principal requirement, the biggest challenge in modern-day software development is ensuring systems are secure.
While once a niche sector within specific industries like rail, nuclear, defence, and aerospace, the need for safe and secure high integrity systems now extends to our everyday lives. Society's ever-increasing dependence on software is exponentially growing, presenting enormous opportunities for the high integrity sector, from everyday devices to national critical infrastructure.
Time after time, we're presented with countless examples of catastrophic software failures through age-old problems like unsafe memory instruction calls, and as we continue to march forward into a world of highly interconnected systems of systems the fallout from these incidents increases.
The High Integrity Software Conference is the perfect place to learn from the experience of like-minded professionals and gain insight into novel solutions for tackling these problems.
What is the most disruptive technology impacting your and/or your clients’ businesses at the moment? What can conference-goers expect to find in the programme on the topic?
The most disruptive technology impacting AdaCore's clients' businesses is the flow down of high-level requirements requiring memory-safe hardware and software. More specifically, in the US we're seeing White House reports mandating the need to demonstrate that a system is secure by design. Similar advisories are in place within the UK through the Digital Security by Design initiative.
Multiple talks within this year's conference will cover this topic, notably Professor John Goodacre's keynote talk: "Redesigning Cybersecurity for a Resilient Future" but also David Chisnall's talk "CHERIoT: Fearlessly reuse untrusted C code in embedded systems" and "Rust for Certifiable Software: Bridging Communities" by Jose Ruiz from AdaCore.
In what ways does the High Integrity Software Conference foster collaboration and networking among its attendees? Can you provide examples of past success stories or unique opportunities for professional growth that participants have experienced?
Since its inception, HISC has aimed to bring people from the high integrity software engineering and academia community together. The event's purpose has always been to discuss new ideas and foster new relationships. Every year I've attended, I've personally made multiple new connections, including many that have led to collaborative projects. Examples include creating new partnerships after demonstrating our CHERI technology at AdaCore's exhibitor booth.
In addition, before joining the HISC programme committee, I was lucky enough to give a talk at the conference on Fuzzing for Airworthiness Security. The opportunity helped raise my profile and was part of a series of events that resulted in my becoming AdaCore's Head of Dynamic Analysis earlier this year. If you work in High Integrity Software and are looking for an event to help with professional growth, I highly recommend attending HISC.
As a member of the program organisation committee, what are the key insights you expect attendees to take away from the event? And what are the most exciting slots on the agenda they won’t want to miss?
Two years ago, the demand for attendance was so high that we had to move to a new bigger venue. However, we still didn't anticipate the market, and for 2024, we're moving to the ICC Wales, a flagship conference centre that brings new opportunities to revamp the event.
For that reason alone, this year’s is one not to be missed!
If potential delegates need further convincing, just look at the programme. The 2024 HISC Call for Presentations was a massive success, with multiple high-quality abstracts submitted.
There are two standout keynotes attendees should head to. First, Rob Ashmore, Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Chief Technologist - Software, UK MOD, kicks off the programme with "Global Combat Air Programme Software: Challenges and Opportunities" and then Professor John Goodacre will speak about "Redesigning Cybersecurity for a Resilient Future". Later in the afternoon, Paul Caseley, Fellow Dstl, will return to give delegates insights into "Pointers to failing software projects", which is sure to be a popular choice.
However, with two parallel tracks spanning four topics, making up fourteen talks, a panel session, and lightning talks, HISC packs a lot into a single day and promises to provide something for everyone!
Register now for the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC).
Back for another year in a brand new, larger venue, the HISC will take place on Tuesday 22nd October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales.
In addition to sharing exclusive insights and opinions, cross-industry leaders will demonstrate state-of-the-art high assurance software throughout the conference exhibition space. Providing networking opportunities to form new collaborations and disseminate high integrity software-related research.
Register now to avoid disappointment.
“It’s crucial that high integrity software engineers stay agile” – Interview with Stuart Matthews, Capgemini
Posted on August 23, 2024
The High Integrity Software Conference (HISC) – brought to you by AdaCore and Capgemini – presents an exciting opportunity for software engineering practitioners to share challenges, best practice, and experience.
With panels, exhibitions, and lightning talks from industry leaders, attendees will walk away with exclusive insights and important techniques applicable across industry sectors.
In this blog, Stuart Matthews, Senior Architect at Capgemini Engineering and HISC Programme Committee member, explains why heading to HISC is a must for any industry professional looking to respond to rapidly developing technology with agility and resilience.
"High Integrity Software" is the core theme of the conference. How will this focus address attendees’ biggest challenges and opportunities? Why is this theme so crucial in today’s technology landscape?
As software engineers working in the high integrity sector, we are aware of the vital role that our work plays across many aspects of society and national infrastructure. That includes energy transportation systems, medical systems, defence, security and automotive.
It’s crucial that we stay agile and respond to technological challenges, and the High Integrity Software Conference is a great opportunity for software engineers and software architects to share experiences and technical insights that help us do so – remaining at the forefront of the industry.
What is the most disruptive technology impacting your and/or your clients’ businesses at the moment? What can conference-goers expect to find in the programme on the topic?
New technologies constantly disrupt high integrity software development, but right now the main disruptors are machine learning (ML) and generative AI (GenAI). Balancing the potential rewards of these new technologies against the risks they bring to software development is a particular consideration for developers and quality assurance.
Conference attendees will find a session dedicated to the evolution of industrial software standards and how they should react to these kinds of disruptive technologies. This session will include a talk on ‘Ensuring safety while integrating AI’ from Thuc Nguyen Tri, EUROCAE Technical Programme Manager and leader of Working Group WG-114 on AI Standards in Aviation.
In what ways does the High Integrity Software Conference foster collaboration and networking among its attendees? Can you provide examples of past success stories or unique opportunities for professional growth that participants have experienced?
HISC has always aimed to provide networking opportunities alongside a programme of high-quality technical talks. There is an exhibition space featuring key service providers and product vendors in the high integrity software domain, a session of lightning talks available for vendors, and not forgetting a dedicated networking and cocktail hour at the end of the day.
As a member of the program organisation committee, what are the key takeaways you expect attendees to take away from the event? And what are the most exciting slots on the agenda they won’t want to miss?
As a member of the programme committee, I’m really excited about this year’s keynotes and technical talks.
Attendees have a choice of parallel sessions to attend but can expect to take away a combination of insights into technical advances for software development and verification, and an understanding of the challenges these pose to certification and the evolution of industry standards.
Plus, don't miss what’s expected to be a lively debate at the end of the day, in which panellists dig into how we can best balance the opportunities and risks that such technological advancements present to our industry.
Register now for the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC)
Back for another year in a brand new, larger venue, the HISC will take place on Tuesday 22nd October at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales.
In addition to sharing exclusive insights and opinions, cross-industry leaders will demonstrate state-of-the-art high assurance software throughout the conference exhibition space. Providing networking opportunities to form new collaborations and disseminate high integrity software-related research.
Register now to avoid disappointment.
Secure Software and Cybersecurity Advances Take Centre Stage at HISC
Posted on August 12, 2024
Two of the UK's leading experts in large-scale high-integrity software systems will deliver the keynote addresses at the High Integrity Software Conference (HISC), held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Wales on October 22, 2024.
The mission of HISC is to share challenges, best practices, and experience between software engineering practitioners. The conference features talks from industrial and academic specialists who disseminate their experience and knowledge of essential techniques and methods applicable across industry sectors.
Paul Butcher is the UK Programme Manager at AdaCore,
“This year, we are delighted to have two highly anticipated keynote speakers with us in the UK: the Ministry of Defence's ‘Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Chief Technologist - Software’ Rob Ashmore and the UKRI Challenge Director for Digital Security by Design and University of Manchester Professor, John Goodacre.”
Rob Ashmore is the UK Ministry of Defence's "Chief Technologist - Software" for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), a key component of which is the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). He is also a Dstl Fellow for "Critical Software" at the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), part of the UK Ministry of Defence. His keynote, titled Global Combat Air Programme Software: Challenges and Opportunities, will discuss how much the defence industry is now critically dependent on software.
John Goodacre is a Professor of Computer Architecture at the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester in the UK. He previously spent 17 years with Arm Ltd. as the Director of Technology and Systems, where he defined and introduced the first multicore processors and other widely deployed technologies. He is also appointed by the UK government's Research & Innovation agency as the Director of Digital Security by Design.
John's keynote is titled ‘Redesigning Cybersecurity for a Resilient Future’ and discusses the concepts of “cyber security,” "secure by default," and "secure by design." His talk will clarify these terms and review government approaches, and the language changes shaping cybersecurity's future.
You can book your tickets here.
New Venue for HISC 2024
Posted on July 03, 2024
As the 11th edition of the High Integrity Software Conference relocates to a larger venue for 2024, the International Conference Centre Wales, co-sponsor AdaCore has shared their thoughts looking ahead to this year's conference via a press release calling for the High Integrity Software community to register for HISC 2024.
Paul Butcher is the UK Programme Manager for AdaCore, a co-sponsor of HISC,
“Now in its eleventh year, the High Integrity Software Conference remains steadfast and relevant in the calendar of industry and academia alike. It has also outgrown its home city of Bristol and will now fly the nest to take residence in the grand surroundings of the International Conference Centre Wales! This significant venue change provides opportunities to expand delegate numbers, which is much-needed due to the previous years being sell-out events. In addition, it opens up exciting new possibilities to expand the reach of the High Integrity Software community and ensure a more comprehensive collaboration throughout industry, governments, and academia.”
Read more on the AdaCore website
For more information about ICC Wales, check out our venue guide
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Tobias Reiher RecordFlux Technical Lead at AdaCore
Posted on October 10, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
The utilization of formal methods in software development has experienced a notable upswing over the past decade. Although these methods have existed for several decades, their widespread acceptance and implementation have witnessed substantial growth in recent years. This surge can be attributed to various factors, including the imperative for safety-critical systems, advancements in tooling, regulatory mandates, and demonstrable success stories. With software systems steadily increasing in complexity and significance, the prominence of formal methods is poised to expand further as they play an increasingly crucial role in assuring reliability and correctness.
Can you give us a sneak peek into what you’ll be covering in your talk at HISC 2023?
We'll shine a spotlight on the practical application of formal methods to strengthen the security of communication protocols. We'll emphasize the real-world shortcomings of conventional implementation approaches, which have left numerous devices exposed to security vulnerabilities. Our presentation will showcase how the use of RecordFlux can transform the process. By providing a toolset for specifying protocols and automatically generating provable SPARK code, we simplify and significantly enhance the security of communication protocol implementations.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
I'm most looking forward to the opportunity to engage with industry professionals and have insightful discussions about their specific needs and applications. Connecting with individuals from various companies allows us to better understand their unique challenges and to provide practical and effective solutions. It's a chance to foster meaningful collaborations and ensure that our innovations align seamlessly with the evolving demands of the industry.
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
To enhance the adoption of formal methods in software development, a key priority is to significantly improve the usability of these tools. Making them more accessible to software engineers, rather than solely catering to formal method experts, is essential. This entails developing user-friendly interfaces, providing clear documentation, and offering comprehensive training programs that empower software engineers to integrate formal methods seamlessly into their workflows. Moreover, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration between software engineers and formal verification experts can bridge the knowledge gap and promote better tool usability. By prioritizing usability enhancements and actively engaging the broader software development community, we can unlock the full potential of formal methods in assuring software reliability and correctness.
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Neil White, Solution Director - Intelligent Industry at Capgemini
Posted on October 05, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
In 10 years there is no doubt that technology, and software in particular, has exploded into every aspect of our lives. I now pay for everything on my phone, trusting the security. Drones fly overhead mapping manufacturing process. My watch tells me how far I’ve walked today, and why another biscuit is not a good idea. Another key change is the frequency of in-field software updates. The same watch took a software update just this morning as I was having breakfast. Wider society is vaguely distrustful of software, whilst being utterly reliant on it, and not fully understanding the implications. Is software moving faster than we can build arguments about trust? Are we communicating those arguments correctly? The last 10 years have been exciting, but I think the next 10 years will be even more exciting!
Can you give us a sneak peek into what you’ll be covering in your talk at HISC 2023?
I’m doing a lightning talk, and I thought it would be fun to take a single technology and look at how it has progressed during the 10 years of HISC. I’ll be looking at drones – what was the state of play in 2014, what is the state of play today, and what can we learn as a software community from (spoiler alert) the expansion of drone use in the last 10 years?
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
That’s a tough question given the diversity and strength of the speakers. I’m looking forward to engaging with other people combining cutting edge DevOps pipeline development with safety critical, particularly in the area of continuous certification. And as a confessed language nerd, I’ll be looking to see what new technologies are coming to market.
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
I think the key lesson is that you can never overestimate the pace of change in the wider software industry or the novel ways in which people will want to deploy technology. For the safety critical community, we have to make sure we keep up, stay relevant, and allow all the exciting developments to happen … safely. We have to be seen as an enabler, not a drag.
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Martyn Pike, UK Sales Director at AdaCore
Posted on September 21, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
Ada 2012 and SPARK 2014 were pivotal moments in modernising and embracing memory safe technologies which we now see emerging in silicon, as well as software application programming languages. This combination is as close as we have ever been to having within reach a silver bullet for safe and secure systems development.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
To learn more about Digital Security by Design (DSbD) and DevOps for high-assurance systems development. AdaCore's work through the DSbD initiative positively impacts our internal development and verification processes. However, it will be great to learn more about the wider-reaching change CHERI and Arm Morello have had on safety and security-critical architectures across multiple sectors. In addition, DevOps has evolved from a methodology aiming to promote a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility to a widely considered essential means of compliance with modern-day tool-chain security requirements. AdaCore has been using and promoting DevOps practices for over 20 years, and it's encouraging to see the trend is now really heating up!
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
We've learnt that while high assurance software development demands rigorous and disciplined engineering, it can still adopt emerging tools and techniques such as DevOps, Cloud development, Large Language Models and memory safe silicon. It's going to be an exciting next 10 years to see what those integrations yield.
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Paul Parkinson, Field Engineering Director at Wind River
Posted on August 22, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
One significant trend has been the convergence of safety and security, which in some regards has been previously addressed independently and in some ways, in silos. In the Aerospace & Defence sector, it’s been interesting to see the evolution of the DO-326A / ED-203A suite on airworthiness security and alignment with DO-178C / ED-12C for avionics software safety.
In terms of technologies, on the runtime environment side, it’s been interesting to see the evolution of processor architectures to support for secure boot and hardware virtualization, and how these have been used by the software ecosystem to improve the safety and security of systems. There’s also been a disruptive change on the development side, through increasing adoption of CI/CD and the improved affordability of cloud, enabling cloud native development of applications for the intelligent edge.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
I always look forward to HISC and the different conference track themes each year, and this year is no exception with tracks on Advanced Software Development & Verification, and also High Integrity Software – Assurance & Ecosystems. There will be lots of interesting talks by speakers from speakers from academia, industry and wider community. The two talks which I am most looking forward to are by Nikita Johnson from Rolls-Royce on the impact of security weaknesses in safety-critical systems; and Paul Caseley from DSTL on Edge Avionics with Digital Security by Design.
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
It’s become very apparent in recent years, that even if safety-critical system was originally designed to run in a standalone / isolated environment, at some point in the future there is a strong possibility that it may become network-connected for multiple reasons, including providing real-time performance monitoring, analytics, etc. This can provide many benefits, but also increases the surface for potential attacks, so it cannot be assumed that these systems will only ever operate in a benign environment, so they should be designed with both safety and security in mind.
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Paul Butcher, UK Programme Manager at AdaCore
Posted on August 09, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
Over the last ten years, we've seen substantial advances in software-related technology to leverage performance enhancements, miniaturisation and the growing interconnectivity of networked hardware components. As hardware capabilities evolve and provide an ever-growing feature-rich environment, software must adapt to maximise the benefits of the latest and most significant characteristics. Examples driving this growth include increased bandwidth in wireless network protocols and cloud computing technology. However, the more we expand the external connectivity of systems, the more attack vectors we identify from the security environment. In addition, the ever-growing demand for more complex systems increases the likelihood of undetected exploitable vulnerabilities in deployed software. The rate at which low-assurance software is released into the wild is staggering; this emphasises the cost and effort involved in producing high-assurance software.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
As a co-chair of the HISC Programme Committee, I'm lucky enough to be involved in the orchestration of the conference programme. The Call for Presentations was a fantastic success, which left the committee with many difficult decisions over which talks to select. Subsequently, this year's event will be an absolute corker! Some big hitting talks that I'm looking forward to include: Helen Lovekin (NCSC), talking about updates to the National Cyber Strategy, Paul Casely (DSTL), providing thoughts on Digital Security by Design successes and learning about the concrete solutions Nikita Johnson (Rolls-Royce), Adrian Waller (Thales UK) and Naomi Farley (Thales UK) have been working on for meeting cyber security for airworthiness objectives. However, all of this year's talks are very strong, and it's easy to argue that we have something for everyone. In addition, and currently yet to be known to the delegates, we also have a fantastic draft concept for the closing panel session. So as not to spoil the surprise, I won't say any more at this stage, but ultimately the panel discussion has the potential to be very enlightening, a lot of fun and is what I'm most looking forward to!
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
Over the last ten years, multiple high-profile software-related safety incidents have occurred. This is alarming and incredibly sad when you consider the time, effort and money governments, industry, and academia has spent establishing proven processes, methodologies, and tools and producing experienced high-integrity engineers. While the mistakes could be credited to a lack of understanding, I'd argue that cost-cutting, unrealistic expectations and trying to meet unobtainable customer demands play a role. HISC brings together a community that understands how to develop high-assurance software and appreciates why we should do it. No amount of profit or project success should ever outway safety, and if we learn anything moving forward, the HISC community should be steadfast in ensuring deployed software can be relied upon to function safely and correctly. In addition, we need to establish a better industry-wide understanding of cybersecurity and how to design, implement and deploy vulnerability detection and attack countermeasures, particularly where cybersecurity directly impacts safety. That being said, and through the evidence of the innovations and enhancements to the state-of-the-art that will be presented at HISC 2023, I'm confident that the future will be safe and secure.
HISC 2023 blog series: interview with Stuart Matthews, Senior Architect at Capgemini Engineering
Posted on August 02, 2023
HISC is now in its tenth year. What trends and technical advances have you seen over the past ten years which impact the trustworthiness of software ecosystems?
One of the most significant trends has been the way that mathematically-based specification and analysis techniques have spread from being a niche technique used only in high-integrity software to their adoption and deployment by some of the world’s biggest technology firms. And furthermore how their at-scale, high-velocity approach to software development and verification has found its way back into the engineering domain, with the adoption of agile and CI/CD practices into our standard toolkits.
What are you most looking forward to at this year’s HISC?
This an exciting year for HISC so it’s hard to pick just one thing! Not only is this our tenth year, but we have several innovations in the conference programme: new members on the committee who I’ve greatly enjoyed working with and the operation of a Call for Presentations which has been very successful. As well as the dozen technical session talks we have two great keynote speakers: Helen Lovekin from the National Cyber Security Centre will be presenting an update on the Principals-Based Assurance initiative, whilst Rod Chapman from Amazon Web Services will talk about AWS' use of automated reasoning - in and about the cloud.
What lessons can we learn from the last ten years, and how can we ensure we build on experience throughout the next ten years?
The need for safety-related systems to be robust against malicious attacks has increased over the last ten years to the point where cyber-security is now a standard requirement for any critical system. Going forwards, innovation in the process, methods and tools that we use particularly for the verification of such systems is going to be essential if we want to improve the overall efficiency and productivity of high-integrity software development.
HIS Virtual Event, November 2020
Posted on May 26, 2020
To maintain the safety of our delegates, exhibitors and everyone involved, we have taken the decision to cancel this year’s physical HIS conference, and to shift to a virtual event. We continue to evaluate the feasibility of organising an HIS in 2021 in its original format.
This year’s virtual event aims to address the challenges we face building high integrity software in this new age of increased digital dependency. The event will take place in November 2020, and we will be announcing further information about the programme and logistics as soon as this is available.
For more complete guidance on the nature of HIS events, we suggest visiting the other pages on this website, such as the complete programme from the HIS 2019 conference and the selection of slides from previous years.
The High Integrity Software Conference Continues to Champion High-Assurance Software Development
Posted on September 17, 2019
AdaCore and Altran today announce their renewed sponsorship of the annual High Integrity Software (HIS) Conference, taking place in Bristol on November 5th, 2019. Now in its sixth year, the event attracts leaders in industry and academia who share the common focus of producing high integrity software. This promises to be the pivotal event as we enter an age of digital dependency, and many aspects of our everyday lives rely on the correct behaviour of software-intensive electronic systems. The event addresses new, current and future challenges and continues to grow year on year. It welcome an international audience, with delegates from continental Europe to Japan. Recognising the need to engage new engineers on this key topic, there are special rates available for those at an early stage of their career.
HIS 2019 will feature talks from industrial and academic specialists, focusing on four key themes: Future Aerospace Systems, Future Automotive Systems, Critical Systems: Security and Safety, and Languages and Technologies. Two keynote speakers have been confirmed to represent both industrial and academic views: George Romanski, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor of Computer Aircraft Software at the Federal Aviation Administration, and Les Hatton, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Software Engineering at Kingston University.
The conference continues to evolve and grow thanks to long-standing support from key industry players AdaCore, Altran, Jaguar Land Rover, BAE Systems and General Dynamics. Tom Anderson from CSR Events commented “The ongoing success of the HIS conference is surely due, in very large measure, to the emphasis that the event places on practical, industrial and commercial systems. This is reflected by the unstinting support we receive: from our sponsors, our speakers, our exhibitors – and, of course, our delegates.”
We continue to support the next generation of quality software developers through subsidised participation rates for university students and anyone enrolled in an early-starter/apprenticeship scheme:
Jamie Ayre, Commercial Director at AdaCore commented, “HIS is quite simply one of the best conferences we attend globally. The relevance of the content, the wide range of industries represented amongst the delegate list and a dedicated exhibition space with leading companies in the critical software development solutions arena, ensures that the conference continues to see great success year on year”.
Stuart Matthews, Research and Technology Manager at Altran UK said, “I am delighted that we have continued our engagement with the High Integrity Software Conference. A compelling programme, including strong keynote speakers and a perspective based on a balance of industry and academia makes HIS a must-attend event.”
Those interested in attending the conference can view further details and register via the conference website.
About AdaCore
Founded in 1994, AdaCore supplies software development and verification tools for mission-critical, safety-critical and security-critical systems. Four flagship products highlight the company’s offerings:
- The GNAT Pro development environment, a complete toolset for designing, implementing, and managing applications that demand high reliability and maintainability. GNAT Pro is available for Ada and also for C and C++.
- The CWE-Compatible CodePeer advanced static analysis tool, an automatic Ada code reviewer and validator that can detect and eliminate errors both during development and retrospectively on existing software. CodePeer can detect a number of the “Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors” in the MITRE Corporation’s Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE).
- The CWE-Compatible SPARK Pro verification environment, a toolset based on formal methods and oriented toward high-assurance systems.
- The QGen model-based development tool suite for safety-critical control systems, providing a qualifiable and customizable code generator and static verifier for a safe subset of Simulink® and Stateflow® models, and a model-level debugger.
Over the years, customers have used AdaCore products to field and maintain a wide range of critical applications in domains such as commercial and military avionics, automotive, railway, space, defence systems, air traffic management/control, medical devices and financial services. AdaCore has an extensive and growing worldwide customer base; see www.adacore.com/industries for further information.
AdaCore products are open source and come with expert online support provided by the developers themselves. The company has North American headquarters in New York and European headquarters in Paris.
About Altran
Altran is the world leader in engineering and R&D services. The Group offers its customers a unique value proposition to meet their transformation and innovation challenges. Altran supports its customers, from concept to industrialisation, to develop the products and services of tomorrow. Altran has been working for more than 35 years with major companies in sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, space, defence & naval, rail, infrastructure & transport, industry & consumer products, life sciences and communications, as well as semiconductor & electronics, software & internet, finance & public sector. Altran generated €2.9 billion in revenue in 2018, with nearly 47,000 employees in more than 30 countries.
Altran has extensive capability in high-integrity software development. The company’s Bath-based expertise centre was established in 1983 and its team has delivered a number of high-profile projects demanding the very highest level of excellence.
The SPARK technology is at the heart of the work of Altran’s expertise centre and is the foremost language, toolset and design discipline for the engineering of high-assurance software. SPARK has been used to meet or exceed industry standards at the highest assurance levels for many projects in industry sectors, such as aerospace, rail, energy and defence.
Follow us on Twitter: @Altran_UK
Press Inquiries:
AdaCore
Singleton PR
E: abigail@singletonpr.com
T: +44 (0)1252 448 169
Altran
Brooke Willing
E: brooke.willing@altran.com
T: +44 (0) 203 117 0700
HIS 2019: From the IoT to Co-operative Intelligent Systems
Posted on March 22, 2019
Recent years have seen a revolution in connected consumer devices dubbed the “Internet of Things” (IoT): you can remotely monitor your dog, turn on your heating, open your front door, and even find out that the rat trap underneath your floor has captured a present for you when you get home. Powered by commercial pressures, the IoT has moved rapidly ahead in spite of concerns about standards of reliability, security and safety.
Whilst the concepts of distributed systems and remote operation are not so new in the high-integrity software sector, we face significant technological challenges as an industry if we are to deliver the next generation of intelligent systems. Traditionally, our industry has a good track record of delivering safe, high-integrity systems; the challenge now is to maintain these levels of assurance whilst rising to the multi-dimensional demands of increasingly complex systems which at the same time need to be adaptive and mobile, with a consequent need for increased security.
This year’s HIS conference will look in more detail at these challenges and potential cross-sector solutions, that will enable our industry to deliver not just a network of “Things” but an assured ecosystem of co-operative intelligent systems in domains including aerospace, defence, rail, automotive, and industrial control systems.
HIS 2019, 5 November 2019: first announcement
Posted on March 12, 2019
The High Integrity Software (HIS) conference was established to champion high-assurance software development, providing a forum for practitioners to discuss challenges, best practices and cutting-edge research. Now in its sixth year, the event attracts leaders in industry and academia who share one common focus: taking software seriously. At the 5th HIS event in November 2018 there were: 14 topical and technical presentations; 15 leading edge vendors exhibiting; 12 “young” engineers at the outset of their work; 160 delegates overall.
At this year’s event on 5th November we will again offer a substantial discount to early career/student software engineers, and for registrations received before 1st July the cost will be maintained at last year’s rate of £195.
For more information on HIS 2019 as it becomes available, see the other pages at this website www.his-2019.co.uk, or follow @HIS_Conf on Twitter for the latest updates.
Supporting a new generation of quality software developers
Posted on August 14, 2018
At HIS 2018, we’re committed to supporting the next generation of talent and ensuring that the software development community embraces newcomers with open arms – a key motivator for our new subsidy programme. We’ve pledged to discount as many conference places as we can by offering a reduced rate to current university students (undergraduate or postgraduate) and anyone in an early-starter/apprenticeship scheme – but please get in touch as soon as possible if this offer is applicable to you; places are limited and we want to ensure that you benefit if you’re passionate about creating software that matters in the future. Email joan.atkinson@newcastle.ac.uk if you’d like to find out more. We hope to see you at the conference!
To view the latest updates to the event programme, including presentations from prestigious players Bosch, the NCSC and Rolls-Royce, visit the dedicated page here.
HIS 2018 reaches five-year milestone
Posted on July 16, 2018
The High Integrity Software Conference will hit its five-year milestone this year, having become established as an unmissable event in software professionals’ calendars. Each year the conference covers topics dominating conversations in industry and academia – and this year is no exception. With themes ranging from the assurance of highly-autonomous systems to hardware/software interfaces and the latest modelling techniques, the event is set to provoke debate once again amongst those committed to developing software responsibly.
To view the latest updates to the event programme, including presentations from prestigious players Bosch, the NCSC and Rolls-Royce, visit the dedicated page here – and don’t delay your registration; demand is always high!
AdaCore and Altran announce fourth year of High Integrity Software Conference sponsorship
Posted on September 11, 2017
AdaCore and Altran have announced their renewed sponsorship of the annual High Integrity Software Conference, which
takes place in Bristol on 17th October 2017. Now in its fourth year, the mission of the High Integrity Software Conference
is to share challenges, best practice and experiences between software engineering practitioners engaged in complex
systems. The conference is endorsed by official supporters BAE Systems and Jaguar Land Rover and plays host to a
number of industrial exhibitors.
This year’s conference programme captures large-scale corporate and industrial concerns right down to individual experiences of software vulnerability. Robert Martin of MITRE will discuss his involvement in international cyber security initiatives encouraging better quality software development (including CWE), while Dr Marie Moe is set to share her very personal journey investigating the integrity of her own critical infrastructure – her pacemaker.
Failures in software assurance big and small have the potential to be catastrophic in a society that has become increasingly reliant on software-intensive electronic systems. HIS 2018 comes during a year when the UK has been plagued by a host of high-profile cyber attacks, affecting the systems of institutions as vital as the National Health Service and Houses of Parliament.
Stuart Matthews, SPARK Product Manager at Altran UK, said: “In this age of digital dependency the need for trustworthy software has never been greater, which is why a conference promoting best practice in software development is so important. We’re delighted with our programme, which is designed to offer a variety of perspectives; corporate, academic and personal.”
“Software reliability and security are becoming more and more important in today’s connected era,” said Jamie Ayre, Commercial Team Lead at AdaCore. “The High Integrity Software Conference provides a venue to meet with experts and peers alike and share best practices for building robust software applications.”
To find out more and register, visit www.his-2017.co.uk
About Altran
As a global leader in Engineering and R&D services (ER&D), Altran offers its clients a new way to innovate by developing the products
and services of tomorrow. Altran works alongside its clients on every link in the value chain of their project, from conception to
industrialisation. For over thirty years, the Group has provided its expertise to key players in the Aerospace, Automotive, Defence, Energy, Finance, Life Sciences, Railway, and Telecom sectors, among others. In 2016, the Altran group generated revenues of
€2.120bn. With a headcount of more than 30,000 employees, Altran is present in more than 20 countries.
Altran has extensive capability in high-integrity software development. At the company’s Bath-based expertise centre (established in 1982) its team has engaged in a number of high-profile projects demanding the very highest level of excellence, including building the latest air traffic management systems, developing safety-critical software for the defence sector and contributing to key national infrastructure projects.
The SPARK technology is at the heart of the work of Altran’s Bath-based expertise centre and comprises the foremost language, toolset, and design discipline for the engineering of high-assurance software. SPARK has an enviable track record in many industry sectors, such as aerospace, rail and security, and has been used to meet or exceed industry standards at the highest assurance levels.
About AdaCore
Founded in 1994, AdaCore supplies software development and verification tools for mission-critical, safety-critical, and security-
critical systems. Four flagship products highlight the company’s offerings:
The GNAT Pro development environment for Ada, a complete toolset for designing, implementing, and managing applications that demand high reliability and maintainability.
The CodePeer advanced static analysis tool, an automatic Ada code reviewer and validator that can detect and eliminate errors both during development and retrospectively on existing software.
The SPARK Pro verification environment, a toolset based on formal methods and oriented towards high-assurance systems.
The QGen model-based development tool, a qualifiable and customisable code generator and verifier for Simulink® and ;Stateflow® models, intended for safety-critical control systems.
Over the years customers have used AdaCore products to field and maintain a wide range of critical applications in domains such as railway systems, space systems, commercial avionics, military systems, air traffic management/control, medical devices, and financial services. AdaCore has an extensive and growing world-wide customer base; see www.adacore.com/customers/ for further information.
Contacts:
Altran
Madelaine Beale
Marketing and Communications Manager
madelaine.beale@altran.com
Tel: +44 (0)203 117 0748
AdaCore
Emma Adby
Marketing Operations Manager
adby@adacore.com
Tel: +33 (0) 1 49 70 87 82
Follow us on Twitter:
@HIS_Conf #HISConf17
@Altran_UK
@AdaCoreCompany
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