Software Engineering Technology Transfer Research Articles

An industry survey on approaches, success factors, and barriers for technology transfer in software engineering

AbstractOne central aspect of software engineering research is the transfer of the proposed approaches into industrial practice. In the past, a number of technology transfer approaches and experiences from technology transfer projects in software engineering have already been reported. However, many researchers still struggle to get their research results noticed by practitioners. To investigate what is important to practitioners, we conducted a mixed‐methods study that provides us with reliable quantitative data as well as deeper insights from qualitative data. Our results show that there is a mismatch between industry professionals' needs and commonly proposed technology transfer approaches in the software engineering field. For instance, collaboration between industry and academia as well as participation in empirical evaluations is not deemed important from an industry point of view. In contrast, industry professionals emphasize the use of company‐specific pilot projects conducted by industry and the need for experts to be available in every phase of technology transfer.

Approaches, success factors, and barriers for technology transfer in software engineering—Results of a systematic literature review

AbstractIntroductionTechnology transfer aims at supporting the transfer of results from software engineering research from academia to industrial application.ObjectiveThis paper reports on the current state of technology transfer in software engineering.MethodWe conducted a systematic literature review, in which we investigated 3070 papers. We identified in total 70 relevant papers, which were subject of a detailed analysis.ResultsMany different approaches are proposed to foster technology transfer in software engineering. The majority of these approaches suggest direct collaboration between industry and academia or teaching new technologies in industrial training or university education. In addition, a considerable number of experience reports on technology transfer exist. Hence, a multitude of best practices, success stories, and lessons learned is reported. Among others, empirical evidence, maturity, and adaptability of the technology seem important preconditions for successful transfer, while social and organizational factors seem important barriers to successful technology transfer.ConclusionOur findings can aid software engineering researchers in determining how best to support the transfer of their research results into practice. Furthermore, analysis of the literature also revealed that no reports exist on the combination of various technology transfer approaches, which could increase advantages of existing approaches while reducing their disadvantages.

Understanding and improving technology transfer in software engineering

Technology transfer in software engineering involves more than a new idea or evidence that it works. This paper illustrates how technology transfer requires a good idea, the generation of evidence, analysis of that evidence, good packaging and support, and careful consideration of the audience for the technology. By learning from other disciplines, we present a model of technology transfer that can be tailored to a particular organisation's needs.

Software engineering technology infusion within NASA

Abstract technology transfer is of crucial concern to both government and industry today. In this paper, several software engineering technologies used within NASA are studied, and the mechanisms, schedules, and efforts at transferring these technologies are investigated. The goals of this study are: (1) to understand the difference between technology transfer (the adoption of a new method by large segments of an industry) as an industrywide phenomenon and the adoption of a new technology by an individual organization (called technology infusion); and (2) to see if software engineering technology transfer differs from other engineering disciplines. While there is great interest today in developing technology transfer models for industry, it is the technology infusion process that actually causes changes in the current state of the practice.