The 26th International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods


10 - 13 November 2025 - Hangzhou, China

Welcome to the website of the 26th International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods (ICFEM 2025)

ICFEM is an internationally leading conference series in formal methods and software engineering. Since 1997, ICFEM has served as an international forum for researchers and practitioners who have been seriously applying formal methods to practical applications. Researchers and practitioners from industry, academia, and government are encouraged to attend, present their research, and help advance the state of the art. ICFEM is interested in work that has been incorporated into real production systems, as well as in theoretical work that promises to bring practical and tangible benefits. ICFEM has been hosted in many countries around the world.

This year, the 26th International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods will be held in Hangzhou, China (birthplace of DeepSeek). ICFEM 2025 welcomes submissions from researchers and practitioners worldwide to advance the field of formal methods and software engineering.

Scope and Topics

Authors are invited to submit high-quality technical papers describing original and unpublished work in all theoretical aspects of software engineering. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Formal specification and modeling
  • Formal approaches to fault prevention and detection
  • Abstraction, refinement, and evolution
  • Formal verification and validation
  • Integration of formal methods and testing
  • Integration of formal methods and review
  • SAT/SMT solvers for software analysis and testing
  • Practical formal methods
  • Applications of formal methods
  • Formal approaches to software maintenance
  • Formal approaches to safety-critical system development
  • Supporting tools for formal methods
  • Formal methods for agile development
  • Formal methods for human-machine pair programming
  • Formal methods for and with AI
  • Formal methods for Cyber-physical systems and IoT
  • Formal methods for security
  • Formal certification of products
  • Industrial case studies

Registration

TBD

Venue and Accommodation

The 26th International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods (ICFEM 2025) will be held in Hangzhou, China.

Hangzhou is a vibrant city known for its scenic beauty, rich history, and dynamic culture. As the capital of Zhejiang Province, it is famous for its picturesque landscapes, including the renowned West Lake, and offers a unique blend of tradition and modernity. Hangzhou provides an inspiring environment for academic exchange and collaboration.

Booking & discount message: TBD

Keynote Speakers




Jifeng He is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on formal methods, concurrent programming theory, embedded system design, and the co-design of software and hardware. He has led major national projects, including serving as Chief Scientist for the National Basic Research Program on Trustworthy Software and the 973 Program on theories and practices for massive information coordination and survivability. His work has contributed significantly to real-time embedded systems, cyber-physical systems, and the Internet of Things.

Title: TBD

Abstract:

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Jim Woodcock is a Professor of Software Engineering at the University of York and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. His research focuses on formal methods, software engineering, and system verification, with contributions to Z notation, CSP, and unifying theories of programming. He played a key role in the formalization of IBM's CICS transaction processing system, which won the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement, and the Mondex electronic payment system, achieving the highest ITSEC classification. He has held academic positions at Oxford, Kent, and York and is the Editor-in-Chief of Formal Aspects of Computing.

Title: TBD

Abstract:

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Mariëlle Stoelinga is a Professor of Risk Management for High-tech Systems at the University of Twente, Enschede, and holds a partial appointment in the Software Science department at Radboud University, Nijmegen. Her research focuses on developing techniques for analyzing and improving the reliability of complex systems using model-checking and fault trees. Her work emphasizes compositionality, deriving system risk profiles from component-level assessments, with applications in predictive maintenance and cybersecurity. She has received multiple awards for her contributions, including the ICALP 2003 Best Paper Award, EASST 2016 Best Paper Award, and AAAI 2022 Distinguished Paper Award. Her projects, such as PrimaVera, CAESAR, and ZORRO, highlight her leadership in integrating safety and cybersecurity through innovative methodologies.

Title: TBD

Abstract:

TBD

Yongwang Zhao is a Professor at Zhejiang University and a Ph.D. supervisor. He serves as a member of the ARINC653 International Operating System Standards Committee and the Common Criteria Operating System Kernel Technology Committee. His research focuses on operating system security, formal verification, and programming language principles. He has contributed to several international and national standards and has led major projects, including those for China's manned space program. His work has been recognized by Boeing, Airbus, and leading real-time operating system communities, influencing both standards and open-source projects.

Title: TBD

Abstract:

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Workshop

PIFI Day on the Design of AI-Enabled Safety-Critical Systems, 7 - 11 November 2025, Hangzhou, China

Attractions

Welcome to Hangzhou, a charming city in China. It combines natural allure with rich history and modern charm. Verdant mountains and serene waters offer tranquility, while ancient heritages tell tales of the past. Hi-tech zones and trendy malls reveal its dynamic present, captivating all who visit.

West Lake, the crown jewel of Hangzhou, enchants visitors with its idyllic landscapes. It encompasses famed sites like the Broken Bridge, Su Causeway, Leifeng Pagoda, and Three Pools Mirroring the Moon. These spots, with their own stories and allure, draw countless eyes and make West Lake an ever-charming destination.
Lingyin Temple, a time-honored Buddhist sanctuary, dates back centuries. Tucked away in verdant mountains, it features imposing architecture like the majestic Main Hall. The temple complex is filled with an air of solemnity, and the nearby Feilai Peak is adorned with exquisitely carved stone statues, a testament to ancient artistry.
Xixi National Wetland Park is a nature lover's paradise. It's a labyrinth of waterways, marshes, and reed beds. Here, you can paddle a boat through tranquil canals, observe diverse bird species in their natural habitats, and soak up the fresh air, far from the city's din.
Hefang Street, one of the most representative historical blocks in old Hangzhou, retains the charm of the late Qing and early Republic. Here, a dazzling array of snacks like DingSheng Cake, Pian’erchuan Noodles, Stinky Tofu and Small Steamed Buns awaits. Every bite is filled with the unique flavor of Hangzhou.
Hangzhou Song City resurrects the glory of the Song Dynasty. Entering, you're transported to an era of prosperity. Streets are lined with quaint shops selling handicrafts and traditional snacks. The nightly "Song City Romance" show is a dazzling display of lights, music, and dance, retelling historical tales and captivating audiences.
The Zhejiang Provincial Museum holds over 100,000 artifacts, spanning from the Neolithic to modern times. With treasures like Hemudu and Liangzhu relics, celadon, and Buddhist items, plus ancient mirrors, coins from the Southern Song Dynasty, calligraphy and rubbings, it unveils rich regional history.

Important Dates (AoE)

IMPORTANT: All deadlines are 23:59 AoE (Anywhere on Earth, UTC-12)

Abstract Submission: May 25 June 11, 2025

Full Paper Submission: June 1 June 15, 2025

Acceptance Notification: August 1, 2025

Camera-ready versions: August 20, 2025

Conference dates: November 10–13, 2025

Journal First Submission Deadline: July 20, 2025

Journal First Acceptance Notification: August 10, 2025

Doctoral Symposium Submission Deadline: July 20, 2025

Doctoral Symposium Acceptance Notification: August 10, 2025

Conference Paper Submission and Publication

Submission should be done through the ICFEM 2025 submission page. Please select the appropriate track when submitting your paper.

Access submission portal

General Information

As in previous years, the proceedings will be published in the Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science series. Papers should be written in English in the Springer's LNCS format. Formatting style files and further guidelines for formatting can be found at the Springer website (more details here). We encourage authors to add line numbers to their submissions. This can be done, for example, using the lineno LaTeX package.

Even though there will be no artifact evaluation at ICFEM this year, we encourage authors to upload their artifacts to an archive such as Zenodo or GitHub to ensure reproducibility and availability.

1. Main Conference Paper

Submissions should not exceed 16 pages (excluding references and appendix) in Springer's LNCS format. Each submission will undergo a rigorous single-blind peer-review process by at least three experts.

Invited extended versions of selected papers will be recommended to a special issue of Formal Aspects of Computing after the conference proceedings.
After the conference, the best software linked to a paper (typically any paper with a dedicated implementation) will be recommended to a special issue of the Software track of Elsevier's Science of Computer Programming journal.

2. Journal-First Presentations

Journal-first presentations invite interested researchers to submit a short proposal for their recently published journal articles, providing the authors an opportunity to speak directly to the community.
When submitting: Please select the ICFEM 2025 Journal First Track in the submission system.

3. Doctoral Symposium

The Doctoral Symposium seeks students' submissions in two categories:

  • 2-page extended abstracts which will not be included in the proceedings
  • 6-page papers which will be included in the proceedings

The authors with accepted submissions are expected to present their work at the symposium.

When submitting: Please select the ICFEM 2025 Doctoral Symposium Track in the submission system.

Journal-First Presentations

Call for Contributions

ICFEM 2025 is inviting journal-first presentations of papers published recently in the following journals:

  • ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems
  • ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology
  • Formal Aspects of Computing
  • Formal Methods in System Design
  • IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering
  • Theoretical Computer Science

Through this initiative, authors of journal-first papers accepted in these journals will be invited to present their work at ICFEM, offering the ICFEM attendees an additional dimension to the research track program.

Scope

A submission to the ICFEM 2025 journal-first track must adhere to the following criteria:

The associated journal paper needs to have been accepted to a journal from the above list no earlier than Jan 1st, 2024.

The paper is in the scope of the conference.

The paper reports completely new research results and/or presents novel contributions that significantly extend and were not previously reported in prior work.

The paper has not been presented at, and is not under consideration for, journal-first programs of other conferences.

Evaluation and Selection

Authors will be invited to present their paper at ICFEM 2025 after a check that the paper satisfies the above-listed criteria. As the papers have already been reviewed and accepted by the journals, they will not be reviewed again for technical content. In the case that an exceptionally high number of submissions is received, not all papers will be selected. Priority will be given to the papers that:

  • Increase opportunities for authors to attend ICFEM, who might not otherwise attend.
  • Best fit the technical program, offering a balance across the conference topics: preference will be given to topics that are under-represented in the other tracks.

Conference Attendance Expectation

If a submission is accepted for the journal-first program, at least one author must register for and attend the full technical conference and present the paper. The presentation is expected to be delivered in person, unless this is impossible due to travel limitations (related to, e.g., health, visa, etc). Each journal-first presentation will be scheduled in a session with topically related main track papers. The journal-first papers will be listed in the conference program but will not be part of the ICFEM proceedings.

Doctoral Symposium Paper Submission

The ICFEM Doctoral Symposium is an international forum for PhD students studying all areas related to formal methods for software, hardware and system development. This forum is an excellent opportunity bringing together PhD students and well-known established researchers from the formal methods community. It will also provide PhD students with fruitful feedback and advice on their research approach and enable them to interact with other PhD students in order to stimulate the exchange of ideas and the sharing of experiences among participants. In summary, the PhD forum will provide PhD students with an ideal opportunity to present, share and discuss their research in a constructive and critical scientific atmosphere.

We seek submissions from PhD students who have either determined the direction of their thesis research (probably with some preliminary results already published), but who still have substantial work to complete; or PhD student participants who are in the early stages of their dissertations. It is not required to have a paper accepted at the main conference in order to participate in the ICFEM Doctoral Symposium.

Submissions to the Doctoral Symposium should include: Title of the research, the author name (single name) and affiliation; Context and motivation; Problem statement and related work; Proposed solutions and current research efforts, their significance, methodology, results and analysis, and future work. The paper should be prepared using the LNCS format and submitted in PDF format via EasyChair.

We accept two types of submissions: (a) 2-page extended abstracts which will not be included in the ICFEM proceedings; and (b) 6-page papers which will be published in the LNCS volume of Springer as part of the main ICFEM proceedings.

Authors with accepted submissions are expected to attend the Doctoral Symposium in person to present their work. A discounted registration fee for Doctoral Symposium participants will be announced later.

Official Sponsors

TBD

ICFEM'25 is an outstanding opportunity for you to reach the "thought leaders" in this industry with your message, and for your Software Engineering team to network and exchange ideas with their peers in this unique and innovative forum.

Sponsors are offered the opportunity to reach over 100 software engineering experts, including researchers and industry practitioners such as developers, QA and engineering managers.

New sponsorship are welcome and any entity wishing to become an official sponsor may contact the sponsorship chair.

Conference Organizing Committee

Steering Committee

David Basin, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Michael Butler, University of Southampton, UK
Jin Song Dong, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Jifeng He, Shanghai Academy of AI Industrial Technology, China
Mike Hinchey, University of Limerick, Ireland
Shaoying Liu, Hiroshima University, Japan (Chair)
Kazuhiro Ogata, JAIST, Japan
Shengchao Qin, Teesside University, UK

Conference Co-Chairs

Xinyu Wang, Zhejiang University, China
Wenhai Wang, Zhejiang University, China

Program Co-Chairs

Étienne André, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord,France
Jingyi Wang, Zhejiang University, China
Naijun Zhan, Peking University, China

Honorable Chairs

Jin Song Dong, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Jifeng He, Tongji University, China
Huimin Lin, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Tutorial Chair

Dongxia Wang, Zhejiang University, China

Finance Chair

Ling Shi, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Publicity Chair

Yamine Aït-Ameur, University of Toulouse, France
Jie An, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Workshop Chair

Mingshuai Chen, Zhejiang University, China

Program Committee

Jingyi Wang, Zhejiang University, China
Julie Parreaux, Université de Rennes, France
Min Zhang, East China Normal University, China
Étienne André, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, LIPN, CNRS UMR 7030, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France, France
Munyque Mittelmann, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Masaki Waga, Kyoto University, Japan
Alexandre Duret-Lutz, EPITA's Research Lab (LRE), France
Regine Laleau, Paris Est Créteil University, France
Srinivas Pinisetty, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, India
Zhiwu Xu, Shenzhen University, China
B Srivathsan, Chennai Mathematical Institute, India
Yufan Cai, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Peixin Zhang, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Jie An, Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Chris Poskitt, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Naijun Zhan, Peking University, China
Jialun Cao, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong
Meng Sun, Peking University, China
Xiyue Zhang, University of Oxford, UK
Jing Sun, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Zhe Hou, Griffith University, Australia
Jeremy Sproston, University of Turin, Italy
Didier Lime, Ecole Centrale de Nantes, France
Jun Pang, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Osman Hasan, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan
Peter Ölveczky, University of Oslo, Norway
Jun Sun, Singapore Management University, Singapore
Fu Song, State Key Laboratory of Computer Science, Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Mingshuai Chen, Zhejiang University, China
Fuyuki Ishikawa, National Institute of Informatics, Japan
Jean-Pierre Talpin, INRIA, France
Cong Tian, Xidian University, China
Sofiène Tahar, Concordia University, Canada
Elena Troubitsyna, KTH, Sweden
Lei Bu, Nanjing University, China
Dominique Mery, Université de Lorraine, LORIA, France
Kristin Yvonne Rozier, Iowa State University, USA
Niu Jun, Faculty of Information Science and Engineering, Ningbo University, China
Dogan Ulus, Bogazici University, Turkey
Zhenya Zhang, Kyushu University, Japan
Jakob Piribauer, TU Dresden, Germany
Pengfei Yang, Southwest University, China
Rosemary Monahan, Maynooth University, Ireland
Bow-Yaw Wang, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
Thao Dang, CNRS/VERIMAG, France
Naipeng Dong, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Adenilso Simao, ICMC/USP, Brazil
Partha Roop, The University of Auckland, New Zealand