Modern software is no longer released once or twice a year. In many organizations, new versions are deployed continuously—sometimes several times a day. This rapid pace puts new demands on how software quality is ensured, and on how future engineers are trained.
At Blekinge Institute of Technology and Lund University, the ELLIIT project Quality Assurance in Continuous Software Engineering has turned this challenge into an opportunity for both research and education.
Led by Nauman bin Ali (BTH) and Emelie Engström (LU), the project explores how automation, data analytics, and human expertise can be combined to ensure software quality in continuous development environments. At the same time, it has played a key role in shaping how software engineering is taught at both Master’s and Ph.D. levels.
Bringing Real-World Challenges into the Classroom
In continuous software engineering, vast amounts of data are generated—from code changes and testing to user behavior. One of the project’s main contributions has been developing methods for using data analytics and visualization to support decision-making in this complex environment.
These advances have been integrated directly into education. Research results have influenced courses in software engineering at BTH and LTH.
This ensures that students are not only learning established methods, but also how to work with modern, data-intensive development practices used in industry today.
A Close Link Between Education and Industry
A defining feature of the project is its strong collaboration with industry partners, including Ericsson, Axis, and TestScouts. These collaborations have had a direct impact on education.
Master’s students regularly carry out thesis projects in close cooperation with companies, working with real data and real development environments. In parallel, research results—such as methods for regression testing, defect management, and anomaly detection—have been integrated into industrial workflows.
The project has also contributed to lifelong learning. Courses have been developed for industry professionals, and practitioners have been supervised towards licentiate degrees within a professional research school. This creates a two-way knowledge flow, where education, research, and industrial practice continuously reinforce each other.
Educating Through Research
The project has had a strong impact on doctoral education. Several licentiate and Ph.D. theses have been completed within the project, covering topics such as data-driven issue management, machine learning for anomaly detection, and research utilization in software engineering.
In addition, two doctoral courses have been developed: one focusing on design science and one on empirical research methods in software engineering. These courses provide Ph.D. students with tools to conduct relevant, high-quality research in close collaboration with industry.
The close cooperation between BTH and LU—working as a virtual team with regular meetings and joint supervision—has created a rich research and learning environment. Doctoral students benefit from access to expertise across institutions and from being part of an active international research community.
Shaping Future Software Engineering Education
As software systems become more complex and continuously evolving, ensuring quality is no longer a separate phase—it is an integrated, data-driven activity throughout the development lifecycle.
The project has also contributed with books and guidelines to prepare the next generation of software engineers in the use of empirical methods. By embedding its research results into courses, thesis projects, and industry collaborations, the ELLIIT project demonstrates how education can evolve alongside technological change. Students are trained to navigate continuous development environments, interpret complex data, and make informed decisions about software quality.
In doing so, the project contributes to educating software engineers who are prepared not only for today’s development practices—but for the future of software engineering.
The project
Read more about the project Quality Assurance in Continuous Software Engineering
Contact
Read more about professor Nauman Ali’s research and find contact information here.
From the researchers
Further reading of this educational impact and references by the researchers
Contact
Read more about Associate Professor Emelie Engström’s research and find contact information here.