SECURE, SUSTAINABLE AND SMART SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

The Software Languages Lab (SOFT) is a research lab within the Department of Computer science at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). Broadly speaking, the lab is active in the design and implementation of the next generation of programming languages and tools for constructing secure, sustainable, and smart software systems. Research conducted at SOFT results in concrete expertise and technology that is industrially valorisable in different fields, such as:

●    Internet of Things and Cyber-Physical Systems
●    Cloud-based Applications and Blockchain
●    Big Data Collection and Processing Systems
●    No-code and Low-code Development
●    Software Quality Assessment and Tooling
●    Test Automation and Continuous Integration
●    Secure Applications: Design and Testing
●    Software Engineering for AI and AI for Software Engineering 

SOFT offers innovation services to companies that want to acquire knowledge and expertise on cutting-edge software technologies, or want to implement novel software solutions through R&D projects and contract research. More concretely, SOFT offers two kinds of services:

1. Expertise in managing and executing bespoke R&D projects. With a multi-million annual turnover in academic projects and over 30 years of experience in research and development, SOFT is a Belgian reference for software-based R&D projects. The lab can therefore help with both the executive aspects of a project (analysis of state-of-the-art technology, planning into work packages, implementation of prototype systems, …) and the funding aspects (applications for public funding and subsidies on Belgian and European levels).
    
2. Tailor-made courses, workshops, and seminars aimed at specific teams and job levels. The goal of these is for participants to acquire insights and knowledge on, and often hands-on experience with, cutting-edge research, technology, and its applications. In the past, SOFT has developed and organized multiple courses and workshops on different topics for various audiences, ranging from highly technical workshops on application-level security for development teams and security engineers, to an introductory course on blockchain and smart contracts for an international law firm.