The successful work of ifak on model-based testing is combined in the competence field Test Methods for Connected Systems. This competence field is designed to be interdisciplinary; it uses the synergies of the business departments "ICT & Automation", "Traffic & Assistance", "Water & Energy" and "Measurement Technology & Power Electronics". Topics of model-based testing and system design have been research topics at ifak for many years. In particular, automated testing with the required methods and tools is in the foreground. Here, besides conventional, increasingly model-based methods are used for test automation. One focus in the competence field is the development and application of a model-based framework for the testing of connected systems. This framework is used, for example, in industrial automation and intelligent traffic systems.
All activities of a model-based testing process, from test creation on the basis of existing requirement descriptions to automatic test execution, are to be supported with suitable methods and tools. The use of domain-specific languages and, if possible, the orientation towards existing standards for the respective context allow a sustainable introduction to industrial practice. Thus, the transferability to different fields of application is also realized. In close cooperation with primarily industrial partners, the practical relevance of the concepts, methods and tools developed is ensured.