The future of software maintenance and evolution
report
This report examines the challenge of strengthening and formalizing a Software Maintenance and Evolution (SMEvo) ecosystem for the Dutch high-tech industry. Maintenance and evolution of long-lived, software-intensive systems account for a large part, estimated between 75% and 90%, of software lifecycle costs. They are frequently complicated by growing risks stemming from legacy technologies, technical debt, knowledge loss, and architectural erosion. These issues slow down innovation, increase operational risk, and threaten competitiveness. To address these challenges, TNO-ESI initiated a knowledge development project to explore the feasibility and value of a collaborative SMEvo ecosystem for the Dutch high-tech industry. This study was guided by specific research questions to ensure a systematic exploration of organizational, human, and technical dimensions of the ecosystem establishment. Three thematic workshops, focusing on those dimensions, were organized with stakeholders from industry, academia, and IT service providers, enabling a multi-perspective analysis of the challenges. The list of stakeholders is mentioned in the acknowledgements section. Findings indicate that:
- The viability of a SMEvo ecosystem depends on establishing collaborative governance, clearly defining the mission of the ecosystem, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the parties within the ecosystem.
- Stable funding is essential for supporting research, tools development, and innovation transfer between academia and industry. Conversely, securing stable funding requires robust evidence of return on investment and the formulation of compelling business cases that demonstrate both technical and business value.
- Internal competition requires structured trust-building measures, conflict-resolution mechanisms, and shared terminology. Those elements facilitate cooperation while still allowing for differentiation and competition.
- The ecosystem should support competency development and career paths creation, and establish new professional profiles. These elements are fundamental for enabling the industry to recognize the challenges of SMEvo and to apply effective solutions on a large scale.
- On the technical side, the current landscape of tools, such as Rascal, Renaissance, R.E.B.O.R.N. (built around Renaissance), and Spoofax, is fragmented. Stakeholders agreed on an interoperability-first strategy as the most pragmatic step towards a shared platform, enabling incremental progress while preserving tool diversity.
Five transition areas were identified: self-organization, knowledge, tools, funding, and education. These transition areas serve as the basis for a phased master plan to build the SMEvo ecosystem. The plan begins with foundational activities, such as positioning tools, clarifying the ownership of these tools, defining a shared vision, and outlining the value of cooperation. Those foundational activities lead to a decision point on participation. Subsequent steps include establishing governance structures, designing the knowledge base, and approving and launching the ecosystem-building roadmap. A mature SMEvo ecosystem is expected to reduce SMEvo costs and accelerate innovation through shared methods and tools, and strengthen the global competitiveness of the Dutch high-tech sector.
- The viability of a SMEvo ecosystem depends on establishing collaborative governance, clearly defining the mission of the ecosystem, and clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the parties within the ecosystem.
- Stable funding is essential for supporting research, tools development, and innovation transfer between academia and industry. Conversely, securing stable funding requires robust evidence of return on investment and the formulation of compelling business cases that demonstrate both technical and business value.
- Internal competition requires structured trust-building measures, conflict-resolution mechanisms, and shared terminology. Those elements facilitate cooperation while still allowing for differentiation and competition.
- The ecosystem should support competency development and career paths creation, and establish new professional profiles. These elements are fundamental for enabling the industry to recognize the challenges of SMEvo and to apply effective solutions on a large scale.
- On the technical side, the current landscape of tools, such as Rascal, Renaissance, R.E.B.O.R.N. (built around Renaissance), and Spoofax, is fragmented. Stakeholders agreed on an interoperability-first strategy as the most pragmatic step towards a shared platform, enabling incremental progress while preserving tool diversity.
Five transition areas were identified: self-organization, knowledge, tools, funding, and education. These transition areas serve as the basis for a phased master plan to build the SMEvo ecosystem. The plan begins with foundational activities, such as positioning tools, clarifying the ownership of these tools, defining a shared vision, and outlining the value of cooperation. Those foundational activities lead to a decision point on participation. Subsequent steps include establishing governance structures, designing the knowledge base, and approving and launching the ecosystem-building roadmap. A mature SMEvo ecosystem is expected to reduce SMEvo costs and accelerate innovation through shared methods and tools, and strengthen the global competitiveness of the Dutch high-tech sector.
TNO Identifier
1024207
Publisher
TNO
Collation
49 p.
Place of publication
Eindhoven