Program

Schedule	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
09:00	Opening & What is MDE?	Language Engineering	Model-Based Testing
11:00	AI & MDE	MDE for DT	From PoC to tool
12:00	Career Path (Academic)	Hands-on MDE	Collaborative Work
14:30	Students Pitch	Model Transformation & Management	Model V&V
16:30	Product Line Modeling	Career Path (Industrial) & Social Event	Collaborative Closing Session

The program consists of lectures and practical sessions by renowned speakers. Lectures are organized in three categories:

[C] Core: Foundational topics on Model-driven engineering (MDE)
[T] Topic: Cutting edge topics that demonstrates MDE strenghts
[P] Path: time to talk about your career, through inspiring talks and networking opportunities.

Wednesday

Opening & What is MDE? [C]

Title: Model-Driven Engineering: Foundations and Challenges
Speaker: Juan de Lara

Abstract: This introductory session will present the main ideas behind model-driven engineering (MDE), will dive into its core concepts and methods, and discuss its role in modern software engineering practice. Through examples of successful applications and tools, the talk will illustrate how MDE has evolved over time, how it relates to other development paradigms, and which challenges and opportunities it faces today, especially with the growing impact of AI-assisted software development.

Bio: Juan de Lara is full professor at the computer science department of the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid (Spain), where he leads the modelling and software engineering research team together with Esther Guerra. His main research interests are in automated software engineering, model-driven development, low-code development, domain-specific languages and language engineering, conversational agents and intelligent assistants. This research has led to building many practical tools including Asymob, AToM3, metaDepth, merlin, and Gotten, and the publication of more than 270 papers in international journals and conferences. He has been the PC co-chair of several conferences within his research areas, like MODELS, SLE, ICGT, ICMT and FASE, he is on the editorial board of the SoSyM journal (Springer), and has been involved in the organisation of workshops on topics like flexible modelling, multi-level modelling and low-code development.

AI & MDE [T]

Title: The evolving friendship between AI and Software Modeling: From early automation to LLM-augmented practice
Speaker: Lola Burgueño

Abstract: Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) has traditionally leveraged automation through models, transformations, and rule-based techniques. Today, advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) are enabling a new generation of AI-driven support. This talk revisits the evolution of AI and MDE and highlights recent advances across the software design phase, including modeling assistants, generation of realistic and diverse test cases, frameworks to assess the capabilities and limitations of LLMs for DSL code generation, techniques for detecting semantic alignments between models and specifications, and ongoing efforts to benchmark modeling datasets for use in machine learning training.

Bio: Lola Burgueño is an Associate Professor at the University of Malaga (UMA), Spain. Her research interests focus mainly on the fields of Software Engineering (SE) and of Model-Driven Software Engineering (MDE). She has made contributions to the application of artificial intelligence techniques to improve software development processes and tools; uncertainty management during the software design phase; model-based software testing, and the design of algorithms and tools for improving the performance of model transformations, among others. She is an active member of the software engineering community. She has been PC (co-)chair of ECMFA’21, SLE’22, JISBD’25 and ICWE’26. She is the General Chair of MODELS’26. She is part of the Editorial Board of the Journal on Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM), she is a member of the Steering Committee of SLE, MODELS and JISBD, and she is part of the WG on Diversity & Inclusion of Informatics Europe.

Career Path (Academic) [P]

Title: A Journey Through the Secret Life of Academics
Speaker: Antonio Vallecillo

Abstract: Deciding whether to pursue an academic career is rarely straightforward. Everyone seems to have an opinion, yet clear answers remain elusive. And even for those already on that path, doubts persistently arise: how to move forward, how to grow, and how to navigate the inevitable challenges along the way. In this talk, we will explore the landscape of an academic career — the key decision points, the main challenges to be addressed, and the trade-offs each choice entails. We will reflect on what success actually means in this environment, and examine the often complex relationships with peers, mentors, and students. The session will close with an open Q&A, where participants are encouraged to share their own doubts, experiences, and questions.

Bio: Antonio Vallecillo is a retired Full Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Málaga. His research spans model-based software engineering (MBSE), open distributed processing (ODP), software quality, and uncertainty quantification. Before entering academia, he spent nearly twelve years in the IT industry, working for companies including Fujitsu and ICL. He joined the University of Málaga in 1996, where he led the ATENEA research group and has been an active member of the MODELS community ever since. Throughout his career, Antonio has been active in standardisation, certification, and research evaluation, both in Spain and internationally. He has served as Vice-Rector for Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies at the University of Málaga, President of the Spanish Society for Software Engineering, and Vice-President of the Spanish Computer Science Society. He is a member of the AIAA, a Senior Member of the ACM, and a member of the Academia Europaea.

Student Pitches [P]

Facilitators: Leen Lambers & Sébastien Mosser

Product Line Modelling [T]

Title: SPL in action
Speaker: Inmaculada Ayala Viñas

Abstract: The course provides a practical introduction to software product lines and variability modeling. Variability is present in our world, and variability models, such as feature models, offer an abstraction for analyzing and modeling it. In this course, we learn how to extract features from families of products and organize them in feature models for analysis. We focus on UVL, the community-driven effort to develop a universal language for modeling variability and its tool ecosystem.

Bio: Inmaculada Ayala is a senior lecturer in the Department of Languages and Computer Science at the University of Málaga. She obtained her PhD degree in Computer Science from the University of Malaga in 2013. Her work is centered on software engineering, with a specific focus on self-adaptive systems and variability modeling. Her most significant publications appear in international journals such as the Journal of Systems and Software, Information and Software Technology, and Knowledge-Based Systems. She has participated in and is currently involved in several EU, national, and regional research projects.

Thursday

Language Engineering [C]

Title: Engineering Modeling Languages
Speaker: Benoit Combemale

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 Software Language Engineering (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/compilers, debuggers, and generators, the integration of multiple modeling languages to achieve a system view.

Bio: Benoit Combemale is currently Research Director at Inria, on leave from his position of Full Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Rennes. He is evolving within the research team DiverSE, joint to the CNRS Research Institute of Computer Science and Random Systems (IRISA) and Inria. He is also adjunct researcher in the SM@RT team of the CNRS Research Institute in Computer Science of Toulouse (IRIT), Scientific Advisor at TwiinIT and Editor-in-Chief of the Springer-Nature journal about Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM). He is currently the scientific director of the 6 years French nationwide program about the engineering of digital twins (EDT, cf. edtlab.fr).

MDE for Digital Twins [T]

Title: MDE for Digital Twins
Speaker: Judith Michael

Abstract: This talk discusses the role of MDE in the engineering of digital twins for different kinds of systems and discusses how models can support both the development of digital twins and their operation at runtime. Building on recent research on model-driven digital twin engineering, the talk covers architectures, domain-specific modeling methods, model transformations, runtime models, and methods for integrating data-driven, AI-driven and model-based approaches. Examples from manufacturing, smart ecosystems, and socio-technical systems illustrate how MDE techniques can support reusable and evolvable multi-purpose digital twins. The talk further discusses current research challenges, including interoperability, evolution, quality assurance, integration of heterogeneous models, and the alignment of digital twins with systems engineering practices.

Bio: Judith Michael is full professor of Programming and Software Engineering at the University of Regensburg (Bavaria, Germany), a member of the supervisory board of the Lakeside Science & Technology Park GmbH (Austria), and the spokesperson of the modeling community within the German Informatics Society (GI). Before, she was a PostDoc and team leader at the Software Engineering chair of RWTH Aachen University (Germany). From 2021-2025, she was the deputy coordinator of the workstream A.II “Conceptual Foundations of Digital Shadows” within the German Cluster of Excellence “Internet of Production”. Judith completed her habilitation at RWTH Aachen University on “Model-Driven Engineering of Digital Twins with Informative and Assistive Services” in 2024 and received her PhD in Computer Science about Cognitive Modeling for Ambient Assistance from University of Klagenfurt (Austria) in 2014. Her research focuses on engineering complex, long-lasting, software-intensive systems in an integrated approach with different disciplines. She has experience in the engineering of digital twins, the model-driven software engineering of information and assistive systems, and software language engineering.

Hands-on MDE [C]

Title: Hands-On: Model-Driven Optimization
Speaker: Stefan Klikovits

Abstract: In this hands-on session we will explore the capabilities of model-driven optimization (MDO). Specifically, we will use MOMoT, a MDO tool that builds on EMF and Henshin to search for model transformation sequences for a simple maze-traversing game. MOMoT uses genetic algorithms for its implementation, enabling a broad application to many target domains.

Bio: Stefan Klikovits is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Business Informatics – Software Engineering (BISE) at Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria. His research lies at the intersection of model-driven engineering (MDE), domain-specific languages, digital twins, search-based software testing, and quantum software engineering. He obtained his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Geneva, after which he undertook postdoctoral research in Japan on the testing of autonomous driving systems (ADS). His recent work spans the co-evolution of digital twins, search-based generation and diversity analysis of test scenarios for ADS, and the engineering of quantum software.

Model Transformation & Management [C]

Title: Model Processing
Speaker: Antonio García-Domínguez

Abstract: This session will cover common model processing activities within the context of model-driven engineering, including model querying, model validation, model-to-model and model-to-text transformation. These activities will be demonstrated using selected languages and tools from the Eclipse Epsilon toolkit.

Bio: Dr. Antonio Garcia-Dominguez is a Senior Lecturer in Software Engineering at the Department of Computer Science of the University of York. Antonio’s main research interests are automated software engineering (whether model-driven and/or AI-supported) and software testing. In addition to over 100 peer-reviewed publications in international conferences, journals, and book chapters, Antonio is a core contributor in several related open source projects. These include the Eclipse Epsilon model management languages and tools, and the Eclipse Hawk model indexing framework. Antonio is leading a work package on agent intercommunication protocols in the MOSAICO EU project on orchestrating AI agents for more reliable AI-supported software engineering.

Career Part (industrial) [P]

Title: What Is Life Like After the PhD?
Speaker: Paula Muñoz

Note: This talk will be combined with a visit at GSEC Málaga. The talk will place in the GSEC auditorium.

Abstract: If your PhD still consumes every waking thought, you’re probably focused on surviving reviewer comments rather than imagining what comes next. Academia teaches you to chase questions for curiosity, to build solutions without immediate profit pressure, and to think critically—sometimes as critically as Reviewer 2. But what happens when you step into industry, where priorities shift, and impact is measured differently? In this talk, I’ll share my own journey from academia to industry after finding my next chapter at Google, where I now work with one of its leading cybersecurity teams in Málaga. Together, we’ll explore what Google Málaga does, how VirusTotal became part of Google, and how a piece of Silicon Valley found its way to our city. More importantly, this session is about transition: the opportunities, uncertainties, trade-offs, and lessons learned when moving from research to real-world industry challenges. Bring your questions, your doubts, and your own experiences—and let’s have an honest conversation about what comes after the PhD.

Bio: Paula Muñoz is a Software Engineer at Google, working at its Cybersecurity Engineering Center in Málaga. She earned her PhD from the University of Málaga in February 2025 and joined Google less than a year later. During her PhD, she was part of the ATENEA research group, where her work focused on measuring the fidelity of Digital Twin behavior through time-series analysis. She has also contributed to the research community as Proceedings Co-Chair of MODELS 2024 and received several recognitions during her PhD, including winning the Student Research Competition at MODELS 2022.

Friday

Model-based Testing [T]

Title: Model-based testing (in the era of autonomous systems and modeling assistants)
Speakers: Zoltán Micskei & Dániel Varró

Abstract: Model-based testing is testing based on or involving models. Numerous software and system testing activities can be supported by models, ranging from sketching user scenarios to validate to generating fully executable test scripts. This talk will overview the principles of model-based testing, overview the process, and summarize key techniques and algorithms used for test case or test data generation. As a particular challenge specific to model-driven engineering, we will cover how to generate a consistent, realistic, and diverse set of models in a scalable way that can be used as test data for modeling tools or as system level testing of autonomous cyber-physical systems. A further application will investigate how modern modeling assistants driven by AI agents can be tested. The talk will illustrate the various techniques on cases from the automotive, railway, and maritime domains.

Bio 1: Zoltán Micskei is an associate professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, leading the Critical Systems Research Group. His research interests include software testing and model-based engineering, favoring empirical studies. He served as the general co-chair for DISC’19. A publication he co-authored won the 10-Year Most Influential Regular Paper award for the SoSyM journal in 2021. He is a member of the Hungarian Young Academy, and a Senior Member of ACM.

Bio 2: Dániel Varró is a WASP professor at Linköping University, Sweden and an adjunct professor at McGill University, Canada and at BME, Hungary. He is a former research chair of the Lendület program of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He is a co-author of more than 200 scientific papers with eight Distinguished Paper Awards, and three Most Influential Paper Awards. He is the current steering committee chair for the MODELS conference series, serves on the editorial board of Software and Systems Modeling.

Prom POC to Tool [T]

Title: Beyond the Proof of Concept: Building Tools that Outlive the Paper
Speaker: Alfonso Pierantonio

Abstract: A proof of concept proves an idea; a tool serves a community. The distance between the two is rarely measured in features, but in commitments to users, stability, documentation, and the unglamorous work of keeping something alive long after the paper that introduced it has been cited. The recent rise of coding agents is reshaping that distance: they offer academic software an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate our ideas at a scale that was previously out of reach, and this matters for any discipline, but especially for MDE, where tools and applications are not illustrations of the research but the very medium in which it is conducted. In this lecture, we draw on the evolution of Jjodel, a collaborative web-based language workbench, to make that distance explicit, and close with a candid inventory of challenges, recommendations and risks for those who already have a prototype on their laptop and are wondering whether it should ever leave it.

Bio: Alfonso Pierantonio is Professor of Software Engineering at the University of L’Aquila, Italy, where he coordinates the SWEN research group. His research lies in Model-Driven and Language Engineering, with a particular focus on tool usability and design. He has authored over 200 scientific articles and has been involved in the organisation of major international conferences, including MoDELS and STAF. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Object Technology and sits on the editorial and advisory boards of Software and Systems Modeling and Science of Computer Programming. He has chaired ECMFA 2018 (PC Chair), STAF 2015, and MoDELS 2023 (General Chair), and is a Steering Committee member for ACM/IEEE MoDELS. He co-leads several research and industrial initiatives, and recently launched the Jjodel project (Link to Jjodel), a collaborative web-based language workbench exploring how modern front-end technologies can reshape model-driven platforms.

Collaborative Work Session [P]

Facilitators: Leen Lambers & Sébastien Mosser

Model V&V [C]

Speaker: Marsha Chechik

[Bio]

[Talk description]

Collaborative Closing Session [P]

Facilitators: Leen Lambers & Sébastien Mosser