• Systems-of-Systems (SoS) have become increasingly complex and are frequently used in highly distributed, dynamic, and open environments. SoS have emerged as a new class of evolving software systems, where constituent systems (themselves systems in their own right) work cooperatively in order to fulfill specific missions. SoS are characterized by operational and managerial independence, distribution, evolutionary development, and creation of emergent behavior. These characteristics have therefore raised substantial challenges to software engineering researchers and practitioners. SoS is becoming a hotspot, from both the research and the industrial viewpoints, in particular, related to crucial classes of applications such as safety-critical or mission-critical SoS. Furthermore, SoS are increasingly involved in applications that address societal needs, such as environmental monitoring, distributed energy grids management, emergency coordination and crisis management, global traffic control, and smart cities.
  
  In this context, the research topic of software engineering for SoS needs to receive more attention and research effort, considering that the software part of SoS is becoming increasingly larger and more complex. Software engineering theories and tools are needed to adequately design, implement, operate, and even evolve such dynamic, complex software-intensive SoS. However, there is a lack of forums that discuss SoS from the Software Engineering perspective. Indeed, this workshop series is the first that addresses specifically this new perspective.
  
  This workshop will provide researchers and practitioners with a forum to exchange ideas and experiences, analyze research and development issues, discuss promising solutions, and propose inspiring visions for the future of Software Engineering (SE) for SoS. In this sixth edition, following the conclusions of last SESoS editions, the workshop will focus on discussing and establishing the theoretical foundations for the SoS domain, to pave the way for a more structured community effort. In addition, the workshop will also address open issues and emergent approaches related to the architecture, model-based engineering, and service-based implementation of Software-intensive SoS.
  
  
  • This workshop will be held in conjunction with the ICSE 2018, in Gothenburg, Sweden.