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June

PhD defence: Building Stronger Bridges: Strategies for improving communication and collaboration between industry and academia in software engineering

Tid: 2023-06-16 10:15 till 13:00 Disputation

Thesis title: Building Stronger Bridges: Strategies for improving communication and collaboration between industry and academia in software engineering

Author: Sergio Rico, Department of Computer Science, Lund University

Faculty opponent: Associate Professor Vahid Garousi, Queen's University Belfast, United Kingdom

Examination Committee:

  • Associate Professor Emil Alégroth, Blekinge Institute of Technology

  • Professor Wasif Afzal, Mälardalen University

  • Professor Henrik Tehler, Lund University

  • Deputy: Senior Research Scientist Dusica Marijan, Simula Research Laboratory, Norway

Session chair: Professor Björn Regnell, Lund University

Supervisors:

  • Professor Martin Höst, Lund University

  • Senior Lecturer Emelie Engström, Lund University

Location: E:A, E-building, John Ericssons väg 2 / Ole Römers väg 3, Lund, Sweden

For download: Follow this link to download the pdf: The pdf will be available for download here later

For Zoom-link: Send email to cs_expedition@cs.lth.se

Abstract

Background: The software engineering community has expressed growing concern regarding the need for more connections between research and practice. Despite the large amount of knowledge researchers generate, its impact on real-world practice is uncertain. Meanwhile, practitioners in industry often struggle to access and utilize relevant research outcomes that could inform and enhance their work. Collaboration between industry and academia is seen as a potential solution to bridge this gap, ensuring that research remains relevant and applicable in real-world contexts.

Objective: This research aims to explore challenges in communication and collaboration between industry and to design, evaluate, and implement strategies that foster this collaboration. 

Methodology: The design science paradigm inspires this research, as we aim to obtain knowledge about industry-academia communication and collaboration by studying challenges and solutions in context. The thesis includes case studies; some are exploratory, while others focus on evaluating specific strategies.

Results: In terms of problem understanding, we identified challenges that impact communication and collaboration, such as different expectations, perspectives, and ways of working. Furthermore, we pinpointed factors facilitating communication, including long-term projects, research relevance, and practitioners' involvement. Regarding how to improve communication and collaboration, we investigated two strategies. The first strategy involves using the SERP-taxonomy approach in a project on software vulnerability management in IoT systems. The second strategy involves the proposal of interactive rapid reviews, conducted in close collaboration with practitioners. We share the lessons from conducting two reviews (one in testing machine learning systems and the other in software component selection). The benefits of conducting interactive rapid reviews include mutual understanding, the development of networks, and increased motivation for further studies.

Conclusion: The thesis emphasizes the importance of industry-academia collaboration as a key aspect in closing gaps between research and practice. The strategies discussed provide tools to understand industry-academia partnerships better and support future collaborations.

 



Om händelsen
Tid: 2023-06-16 10:15 till 13:00

Plats
E:A, E-building, John Ericssons väg 2 / Ole Römers väg 3, Lund, Sweden

Kontakt
sergio [dot] rico [at] cs [dot] lth [dot] se

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Sidansvarig: peter.moller@cs.lth.se | 2024-03-18