The program consists of lectures and practical sessions by renowned speakers on the following topics.

Overview

Note that the program is subject to minor changes in case of scheduling or speaker availability problems.

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
08:30 - 09:00	Welcome
09:00 - 10:30	MDE Foundations by Hans Vangheluwe	Model Transformation and Management by Dimitris Kolovos	Model Evolution and Co-evolution by Alexander Egyed
10:30 - 11:00	Coffee Break
11:00 - 12:30	Engineering Modeling Languages by Benoît Combemale	Model-Based Variability Management by Rick Rabiser	Models at Runtime and Self-Adaptive Systems by Sebastian Götz and Nelly Bencomo
12:30 - 13:30	Lunch Break
13:30 - 15:30	Design Science for Model-Driven Software and Systems Engineering by Manuel Wimmer	MDE Hands-On by Steffen Zschaler	Engineering Digital Twins by Judith Michael
	Create Your Own Career Path by Øystein Haugen	Refinery by Kristóf Marussy	Foundations and Applications of AI and MDE by Lola Burgueño
15:30 - 16:00	Coffee Break
16:00 - 17:00	Developing Next Generation Modeling Tools with Open-Source Technologies by Philip Langer and Dominik Bork	Practical Experience with Petriflow: Enriched Process Models Serving as Implementation by Gabriel Juhás, Netgrif	Industrial Tool Presentation by Obeo
Evening	Student Pitch Presentations & Dinner	(Student Presentations)	(Student Presentations)
		Social Event Dinner at Promenadenhof (Google Maps)	Social Event Dinner at Josef (Google Maps)

Sessions Details

Lectures

MDE Foundations

(by Hans Vangheluwe, University of Antwerp - Flanders Make, Belgium)

Abstract

This lecture sets the stage for the more detailed MDE topic presentations that follow. The core concepts and terminology of software and systems modelling are introduced. A classification of the different types and uses of models is given. More importantly, relationships (such as consistency) between these different types and uses are introduced.

Engineering Modeling Languages

(by Benoît Combemale, University of Rennes, France)

Abstract This course provides an end-to-end coverage of the engineering of modeling languages to turn domain knowledge into tools. It introduces the foundations of SLE, with a specific focus on the use of modeling techniques for designing and implementing DSLs. It also provides various illustrations through the definition of different kinds of modeling languages, their instrumentation with tools such as editors, interpreters and generators, the integration of multiple modeling languages to achieve a system view, and the validation of both models and tools.

Model Transformation and Management

(by Dimitris Kolovos, University of York, UK)

Abstract This session will cover common model management activities within the context of model-driven engineering, including model-to-model and model-to-text transformation, model validation, comparison, and merging. We will demonstrate a selection of these activities using languages and tools from the Eclipse Epsilon toolkit (https://eclipse.org/epsilon).

Model-Based Variability Management

(by Rick Rabiser, JKU Linz, Austria)

Abstract Modern software systems are complex, highly variable systems that frequently evolve. To address the requirements of different customers and markets, multiple variants are developed, very often relying on clone-and-own (code) reuse techniques. This is particularly true for software-intensive systems in industry. Driven by industry needs for a more systematic and scalable approach to reuse, a lot of research on dealing with variability has been conducted in the area of software product lines since the early 1990ies. Variability models are created in software product line approaches to model the commonalities and variability of software-intensive systems and to support deriving and configuring products based on these models. We will review the research landscape of model-based variability management. We will also have a look at recent trends and research, particularly, on managing variability in cyber-physical (production) systems, but also wrt general variability management challenges industry is still facing.

Model Evolution and Co-Evolution

(by Alexander Egyed, JKU Linz, Austria)

Abstract Conventional wisdom suggests that better engineering tools lead to better engineered systems. Yet, despite an impressive and growing computer-supported tool landscape, engineering remains complex and hard to control. A problem we observe is that most existing tools cater to the needs of individual engineers and not the needs of collaborating engineering teams. These tools divide rather than unite because engineers only ever perceive the engineering process through the limited perspective of the (few) tools they are using – often focusing on separate kinds of artifacts, tasks, and engineering disciplines. Consequently, engineers find it hard to maintain a consistent, overall view of the engineering knowledge or propagate changes across tools and disciplines. This talk explores why it is essential for all engineering knowledge to be linked and continuously checked for correctness – with far reaching benefits such as understanding the impact of design changes across tools.

Models at Runtime and Self-Adaptive Systems

(by Sebastian Götz, University of Technology Dresden, Germany and Nelly Bencomo, Durham University, UK)

Abstract In contrast to traditional software models, which focus on development time, runtime models are envisioned to provide intelligent support to software during execution. Runtime models can be used by the system itself, other systems, or humans to help cope with challenges such as those posed by self-adaptive systems. Runtime models can support reasoning and decision-making based on knowledge that may emerge at runtime but was not foreseen before execution to help deal with uncertainty. This talk will cover the support runtime models can provide to self-adaptive, autonomous systems and digital twins. We will share our experience building runtime model-based systems and discuss (partially) unaddressed challenges where runtime models can play a crucial role.

Engineering Digital Twins

(by Judith Michael, RWTH Aachen, Germany)

Abstract Digital twins are created as software systems to monitor, validate, simulate, optimize and predict the behavior, and control objects in the real world. Their engineering provides us with the opportunity to combine research on model-driven engineering, software architectures, models and simulation, data-driven approaches as well as model-based systems engineering. This course provides an overview about digital twin definitions, standards, and research on digital twin engineering methods. We will have a look into modeling methods for its engineering and during digital twin runtime, the combination with IoT data, and relevant functionalities digital twins can provide. In addition, this course gives an overview about existing technologies and tools.

Practical Hands-on Sessions

Design Science for Model-Driven Software and Systems Engineering

(by Manuel Wimmer, JKU Linz, Austria)

Abstract This session offers the opportunity to learn about the Design Science methodology and its usage for Model-Driven Software and Systems Engineering research. Participants will learn about the general structures and processes of the Design Science methodology, as well as how it compares to other research methodologies. Finally, this session will provide specific methods to communicate and frame research projects such as PhD theses.

Create Your Career Path

(by Øystein Haugen, Østfold University College, Norway)

Abstract To become or not to become a scientist, that’s the question. Whether it’s nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of random futures, or to apply AI and human wisdom against this sea of troubles and thereby plan and obtain the future of your desires. Based on experiences from 45 years in quite diverse jobs in research, we shall try and initiate discussions about what careers are and how they may or may not be designed.

MDE Hands On

(by Steffen Zschaler, King’s College London, UK)

Abstact This session offers a hands-on opportunity to explore Model Driven Engineering (MDE) technologies through practical application. Participants will engage in practical scenarios to implement and experiment with MDE tools, gaining valuable insights and experience. This immersive experience is designed to enhance understanding and proficiency in MDE, providing attendees with the skills and knowledge to effectively apply these technologies in their projects.

Foundations and Applications of AI and MDE

(by Lola Burgueño, University of Malaga, Spain)

In recent years, Model-based Software Engineering (MBSE) is exploiting the latest progress made in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve increasingly complex problems. By leveraging AI in MBSE, we can provide modelers with intelligent assistants, self-adapting tools, advanced automation, etc. that improve their productivity and help them develop higher-quality software. This shift from mostly manual tasks to AI-assisted and AI-automated tasks allows modelers to spend their time on the tasks where they provide the most value. In this talk, I will give an overview of some of the latest advancements in the application of AI to Model-driven Engineering, and I will discuss open issues and the short-term and long-term challenges that we will be facing in the future.

Academic & Industry Tool Presentations

Industry Tool Presentation by Netgrif

(by Gabriel Juhás, Netgrif, Slovakia)

Abstract In this talk, we discuss experiences gained by using low-code language Petriflow, based on extended Petri nets enriched by data variables and forms. We illustrate in several real-life use cases how the Petriflow models of business processes can directly be used as implementation when deployed in the Petriflow interpreter.

Developing Next-Generation Modeling Tools with Open-Source Technologies

(by Philip Langer, EclipseSource, Austria and Dominik Bork, TU Wien, Austria)

Abstract This session introduces how to the build modern web-based diagram editors for your tools with ease using open source technologies! We will shed light on the flexibility these tools and their underlying technology stack entail and how you can improve your existing or develop entirely new diagram editors. Concretely, we will elaborate on the newest community additions to the GLSP platform and Sprotty, and modern tools like bigUML that have been developed on top of these technologies. We will in particular explore three key areas of innovation and flexibility: Synchronous Diagram Editing, Testability of diagram editors, and Accessibility of diagram editors. In this talk, we will not only demonstrate new features, but also delve into the underlying technologies, discuss best practices, and show how your research can benefit from proper tool support.

Refinery

(by Kristóf Marussy, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary)

Abstract Labeled graphs are essential for the definition of abstract syntax for software and system models. Consequently, several testing, benchmarking, and optimization problems rely on the systematic construction of consistent graph models. However, automatically generating a diverse set of consistent graph models for industrial domains is challenging: Firstly, we must specify the graph generation problem with mathematical precision. Secondly, graph generation is computationally complex and requires specialized logic solvers. The Refinery framework is an open-source software tool that offers a high-level partial modeling language and a scalable graph solver algorithm to tackle these challenges. This hands-on session will show how to solve logic reasoning problems about modeling languages with Refinery.

Sirius Web: A Low Code Language Workbench to Create Graphical Modeling Environment

(by Théo Giraudet, Obeo.fr)

Abstract Eclipse Sirius is an open source project dedicated to the design and utilization of graphical modeling languages with a low code approach. This project started in 2007 in collaboration with Thales through the first implementation Eclipse Sirius Desktop, an Eclipse-based language workbench. For a decade, Sirius Desktop has been used for numerous desktop projects but these required installation on the users’ machines. To simplify the deployment phase, we proposed in 2019 the first release of a new cloud-native implementation of Sirius named Eclipse Sirius Web, based on the same principles of Sirius Desktop and refined with our experience. In this talk, we will look at the main principles of the Sirius project before focusing on Sirius Web. We will finish with a demo of Sirius Web where we will implement in an iterative way a small DSL with both diagram and form representation.