Research
My research spans software engineering, AI for software quality, and the intersection of digitalisation with sustainability and innovation policy.
AI for Software Engineering and Testing
Developing taxonomies and conducting literature surveys on AI-augmented software engineering (ai4se) and AI-augmented software testing (ai4st). This work maps how artificial intelligence transforms software development practices, from requirements engineering to testing and maintenance.
Key publications:
- Augmenting Software Engineering with AI. The ai4se Taxonomy and Its Use (2026)
- Navigating the Growing Field of Research on AI for Software Testing – the Taxonomy for AI-Augmented Software Testing and an Ontology-Driven Literature Survey (2025)
- When Digitalization Transforms Itself: AI, Software, and the Next Technical Order (2026)
- Enhancing Software Testing with Artificial Intelligence: Capabilities, Challenges, and the ai4st Taxonomy (2025)
- IEEE/ACM International Conference on Automation of Software Test, AST@ICSE 2025, Ottawa, ON, Canada, April 28-29, 2025 (2025)
Software Quality and Model-Based Engineering
Long-standing work on testing, conformance, interoperability and certification of distributed and embedded systems. This includes contributions to international standards such as TTCN-3 (Testing and Test Control Notation) and the UML Testing Profile.
Research on model-driven engineering approaches for quality assurance in communication systems, IoT, and safety-critical applications.
Key publications:
- An Introduction to the Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN-3) (2003)
- Model-Driven Testing: Using the UML Testing Profile (2007)
- Model-Based Testing (2012)
- Model-Based Security Testing (2012)
- Model-Based Testing for Embedded Systems (2012)
- A Taxonomy of Risk-Based Testing (2014)
- The Power of Models for Software Engineering (2024)
Sustainable Digitalisation and AI
Investigating how digital technologies and AI can themselves become sustainable – from frameworks for assessing the sustainability of AI-based systems to research agendas on climate change and AI and sustainable edge computing.
Using digital technologies as levers for the transformation towards sustainability. As a member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), co-author of the flagship report "Towards Our Common Digital Future" and the Charter for a Sustainable Digital Age, linking digitalisation with the UN 2030 Agenda.
Key publications:
- Is Your AI-Based System Five Star Sustainable? (2025)
- Climate Change and AI: A Research Agenda for Sustainable Intelligence (2025)
- Edge Computing: A Comprehensive Survey of Current Initiatives and a Roadmap for a Sustainable Edge Computing Development (2020)
- Sustainable and Reliable Information and Communication Technology for Resilient Smart Cities (2021)
- Vertrauen in KI-basierte Systeme schaffen (2019)
- Towards Our Common Digital Future. Flagship Report (2019)
- Digital Momentum for the UN Sustainability Agenda in the 21st Century (2019)
- Our Common Digital Future – a Charter for a Sustainable Digital Age (2020)
Technological Sovereignty and Innovation Policy
Research and policy contributions on technological sovereignty – understanding it as capability rather than autarky. Work on digital innovation ecosystems and science-policy interfaces, drawing on experience as Director-General at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
Key publications:
Responsible Software Engineering
Promoting quality guidelines for research software and responsible engineering practices in academic and industrial contexts.
Key publications:
Urban Data Platforms and Open Data
Smart city concepts, urban data platforms and open data ecosystems. Former spokesperson of the Smart City Network Berlin.
Key publications:
- Data Governance and Sovereignty in Urban Data Spaces Based on Standardized ICT Reference Architectures (2019)
- Metadata Harvesting and Quality Assurance within Open Urban Platforms (2020)
- Smart Cities. Deutsche Hochtechnologie für die Stadt der Zukunft – Aufgaben und Chancen (2011)
- Open Government Data Deutschland (2012)
- Urban Data Platforms: An Overview (2016)
- Urbane Datenräume (2018)