A Research Agenda for Embedding 4IR Technologies in the Leadership Management of Formal Methods

The use of Formal Methods (FMs) in software development holds much promise for constructing provably correct, or at least highly dependable software. That said, the use of such techniques remains controversial - advocates of the use of FMs cite high-quality software as a major selling point, while critics point to the steep learning curve in acquiring the necessary mathematical skills. In this paper we investigate aspects around ambiguity of semi-formal specifications with respect to the Quality 4.0 framework. Following these we argue that the opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) coupled with leadership-management support may facilitate the use of FMs as a software methodology, not only for mission-critical software, but equally for Business ICTs. Following our analyses, we propose a research agenda for investigating the leadership-management, FMs and 4IR triad, aimed at facilitating the adoption of FMs in the new industry.