A non-tangible force facilitates continuously the smooth functioning of our daily lives: software. To protect us and our economies from disasters, it is paramount to ensure that control software for critical water infrastructures has a very low failure rate. But how do we maintain ageing critical infrastructure in the fast changing area of Software Reliability? To stay on top of all the developments, European partners join forces within the STORM_SAFE project.
The importance of staying up-to-date
Most operating control software of ageing infrastructure has been programmed decades ago. Not overseeing the following three facts will result in malfunction, causing severe socio-economic damages:
- Software has a “lifetime” and does undergo a process of decay
- Software undergoes transformation towards more innovative applications and novel techniques are required
- Software needs to be maintained to be operational.
Project objective
STORM_SAFE's most important project objective is to strengthen the reliability of software for Critical Infrastructures, thereby increasing the digital resilience of the North Sea Region. More precisely, the project aims at providing custom-fit solutions that are implementable by innovative public authorities that run those infrastructures. The project takes Storm Surge barriers of the North Sea as focus example and includes other infrastructure within the Water Sector. For example, the national system of locks and sluices in France, storm surge barriers in the Netherlands, Coastal and City pilots in Denmark, Sweden and Belgium.
Testing the reliability of software
STORM_SAFE will produce, test and pilot a comprehensive, yet modular strategy on how to check, improve and plan reliability of software in co-operation with real sites. For this emerging and highly innovative thematic area of software reliability, a strong pooling of knowledge from both universities and responsible authorities will be needed. A consequent co-design and co-implementation will be ensured between the innovation players (universities, research departments in authorities, SME) and the infrastructure owners.Transnational cooperation in this innovative field of knowledge will boost territorial resilience and pools a wide range of entities for an EU-wide applicable strategy and joint pilot implementations and wider dissemination, application and replication.
STORM_SAFE
STORM_SAFE is an INTERREG North Sea Programme project, co-funded by the European Union. The project will run from 2024 to 2027 and is a cooperation of 11 partners in the North Sea Region.