CV

Bernhard K. Aichernig is a tenured associate professor (ao. Univ.-Prof.) at Graz University of Technology, Austria. With his research group he investigates the foundations of software engineering for realising dependable computer-based systems. Bernhard is an expert in formal methods and testing. His research covers a variety of areas combining falsification, verification, and abstraction techniques. Current topics include the Internet of Things, test-case generation, automata learning, and statistical model checking. 

Since 2020, he leads the TU Graz - SAL Dependable Embedded Systems Lab (DES Lab) with fundamental research in zero-bug software and dependable AI.

He participated in five European projects. From 2004-2016 Bernhard served as a board member of Formal Methods Europe, the association that organises the Formal Methods symposia. From 2002 to 2006 he had a faculty position at the United Nations University in Macao S.A.R., China. Bernhard holds a habilitation in Practical Computer Science and Formal Methods, a doctorate, and a diploma engineer degree from Graz University of Technology.

Activities in 2021

 Here is a summary of my activities in 2020. This list will be updated as tasks come along.

• Key Researcher in three research projects Dependable Things, LearnTwins, and AIDoARt
• Co-Head and key researcher of the  TU Graz - SAL Dependable Embedded Systems Lab (DES Lab) 
• Invited speaker at the AVL ITS R&T Research Networking Day 2021 and ISOLA 2021
• Steering board member of TAP, the International Conference on Tests and Proofs
• PC Member of 
• FM 2021, 24th International Symposium on Formal Methods
• ICTAC 2021, 18th International Colloquium on Theoretical Aspects of Computing
• TAP 2021, 15th International Conference on Tests and Proofs
• IFIP ICTSS 2021, 33rd International Conference on Testing Software and Systems
• A-MOST 2021, 17th Workshop on Advances in Model Based Testing
• ITEQS 2021, 5th International Workshop on Testing Extra-Functional Properties and Quality Characteristics of Software Systems
• SAC 2022, 37th ACM/SIGAPP Symposium on Applied Computing
• Reviewer for the journals
• Science of Computer Programming
• Software Tools for Technology Transfer
• PeerJ Computer Science
• External examiner at the PhD defence of Niveditha Manjunath, TU Vienna: Fault-Based Analysis of Cyber Physical Systems.
• Member of the selection boards for external master students in the programmes Computer Science and Software Engineering and Management
• Teaching 
• Software Paradigms (Bachelor-level, 207 students)
• Declarative Programming (Bachelor-level, 190 students)
• Quality Assurance in Software Development (Bachelor-level, 165 students)
• Model-based Testing (MSc-level)
• Formal Specification and Design of Software (MSc-level)

Postdoc position on Formal Methods and Testing @ TU Graz, Austria

I am looking for a University Assistant (postdoc) to join my research group at Graz University of Technology, Austria. We do research in the areas of formal methods, testing and automata learning.  The group combines verification, falsification, modelling, and learning.

The postdoc will do fundamental research in the new TU Graz-SAL Dependable Embedded Systems Lab (DES Lab) where we research new methods for zero-bug software and dependable AI. In the DES Lab she/he will collaborate with SAL (https://silicon-austria-labs.com) and a team around six well-known researchers of TU Graz: Marcel Baunach (embedded systems), Roderick Bloem (verification, synthesis), Robert Legenstein (computational neuroscience, machine learning), Stefan Mangard (security), Thomas Pock (optimisation, machine learning), and myself.

Needed qualification: completed doctoral studies in computer science, software engineering or a comparable subject.

Wanted qualifications:

• Basic knowledge and research experience in one or more of the following areas:
•  Model-based testing and test case generation
•  Formal development methods (TLA+, Event-B, ...)
•  Verification (Model Checking, Theorem Proving)
•  Automata Learning (Model Inference)
•  Symbolic execution
• Testing/verification of machine learning components
• Testing/verification of embedded systems
• Testing/verification of temporal and stochastic systems
• Successful thematically relevant publication activity
• Interest in participating in teaching
• Very good knowledge of English

Application deadline: 30 Sep 2020.

For further details and information how to apply, see: https://www.tugraz.at/fakultaeten/csbme/news/jobs-grants-calls/7160-20-036/

A brief description of the DES Lab can be found on my homepage: https://aichernig.blogspot.com

In case of questions, feel free to contact me via email: Bernhard Aichernig <aichernig@ist.tugraz.at>

New Research Lab: Dependable Embedded Systems Lab (DES Lab)

I will manage a new research lab that has been launched by TU Graz and Silicon Austria Labs (SAL). The TU Graz - SAL Dependable Embedded Systems Lab (DES Lab) will carry out fundamental research in order to provide dependability of modern computer-based systems. Top computer scientists from TU Graz will be working here together with researchers from SAL on the development of new methods to make intelligent and networked systems more dependable (safety, security, availability, correctness, ...). To this end, the DES Lab will conduct interdisciplinary basic research in the areas of testing, verification, machine learning, optimisation and hardware-related software development with a special focus on security and dependability.

Idea and Motivation. With recent advances in Internet connectivity, network enabled devices have become a substantial part of our everyday lives, extending into areas of increasing importance and criticality. Consequently, those systems must meet high standards with respect to dependability: Systems must be secure, safe, correct, reliable, maintainable, adaptable, and robust. However, these requirements for dependability are challenged by the growing complexity of modern embedded systems. On one hand, embedded systems are integrated into systems of systems that pool their resources and capabilities in order to offer more functionality and performance than simply the sum of its constituents. On the other hand, we face a paradigm shift towards more intelligent and highly adaptive systems where quality guarantees are hard to achieve. The opportunities seem unlimited, and yet these characteristics appear to be overwhelming in their complexity that any assurances of dependability seem out of reach. 

1. Our answer to this problem is twofold: dependable embedded systems require rigor: the complexity has to be mastered by precise abstraction techniques that enable compositional specification and verification; 
2.  smart embedded systems demand smart development methods: the complexity due to “intelligent” software has to be mastered by new "intelligent" and rigorous software and methods.

The following researchers from TU Graz together with researchers from SAL will collaborate in the DES Lab: 

• Bernhard K. Aichernig
• Roderick Bloem
• Marcel Baunach
• Robert Legenstein
• Stefan Mangard
• Thomas Pock

Further information on the general idea behind the joint research labs can be found in the press release.