Advancing software science at IMDEA Software in Madrid

Last week, I chaired the annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board and the Board of Trustees for the IMDEA Software Institute in Madrid. Having served on both boards since their inception—and as president for several years—it has been a remarkable journey to witness the evolution of this institute that has gone from newcomer to world class in just over 15 years, becoming a home to cutting-edge research dedicated to building more secure and reliable software systems for society as a whole.

An impressive track record

IMDEA Software continues to shine alongside global leading institutions in software research, with achievements that resonate both in academia and real-world applications. During the meetings, we saw research recognised at the highest level, including prestigious ERC grants, and tangible real-world impact, ranging from detecting a critical Google Chrome vulnerability (CVE-2018-16075) to techniques to combat cross site scripting attacks now adopted by major internet browsers, to the mitigation of the FREAK attack, a widespread SSL/TLS security exploit that left at least 36% of HTTPS servers vulnerable, earning global recognition, including coverage in The Economist.

This year’s review confirmed the institute’s ability to stay at the bleeding edge of innovation while addressing the critical software challenges of our time. The collective effort of brilliant researchers, led by visionaries like Manuel Hermenegildo and now Manuel Carro, is supported by a highly efficient administrative and operational team, ensuring the institute’s smooth functioning.

New Additions to the SAB

As IMDEA Software looks to the future, it was a pleasure to welcome four new members to the SAB, Gustavo Alonso, Andreas Zeller, Anindya Banerjee, and Catuscia Palamidessi.

Their expertise will be precious in supporting the institute journey into new avenues of research and innovation.

Forging a Partnership with Software Heritage

An exciting highlight from the meeting was IMDEA Software’s decision to create a Spanish mirror of Software Heritage, the universal archive of all publicly available source code. This initiative will enable researchers across Spain to access a local, secure copy of the archive, supporting Open Science, provide a powerful resource for massive source code analysis, and facilitate the development of better software systems by leveraging the rich data within the archive.

This partnership underscores the institute’s commitment to advancing research and open collaboration, ensuring long-term benefits for the scientific community and society.

Looking Ahead

My heartfelt thanks to the entire IMDEA Software team for their dedication and vision. It has been an honor to accompany this one-of-a-kind institute on its journey, and I look forward to witnessing its continued success in shaping the future of software.

Let’s build a more secure and reliable digital world together!