Formal methods for software engineering have an important role to play in producing correct software systems, especially in areas such as space and defence, and in control and monitoring systems that are safety-critical. Such methods are becoming available to industry, with tool support, documentation and training material. A prime example of this development is project 315, RAISE, that has successfully completed the development of the formal specification language RSL, its methodology and an extensive tool-set. RAISE addresses a lot of applications areas. It provides a single framework for specification and design, and a range of formal and informal development techniques.

Generally speaking, industry still needs evidence that formal methods can be used in large applications in practice. The aim of the LACOS project is to establish and demonstrate formal methods, specifically RAISE, as a viable industrial technique in the scalable production of large, correct IT systems. The effect (compared with current methods) will be:

- more problems discovered in the early stage of the life-cycle
- greater assurance that the design process will not compromise functional properties established in the initial specification
- more time being spent on early stages of the life-cycle (requirements, specification and design) and less on the later (translation to code, testing and maintenance).
The aim of the project is to establish and demonstrate formal methods, specifically RAISE (a project that has successfully completed the development of the formal specification language RSL, its methodology and an extensive toolset providinga breadth of applications areas, a single framework for specification and design, and a range of formal and informal development techniques) as a viable industrial technique in the scalable production of large, correct information technology (IT) systems. The effect will be:
more problems discovered in the early stage of the life cycle;
greater assurance that the design process will not compromise functional properties established in the initial specification;
more time being spent on requirements, specification and design.

The strategic approach involves:
application of the RAISE technology, in the area of formal methods, to industrial projects in the development of several different industrial applications;
evolution of the RAISE technology by evaluating its success in those applications;
technology transfer, both within the project and in the form of courses, training material and extensive publicity;
standardization of RSL as a wide spectrum formal language for specification and design;
provision of an extensive library of reusable specification and design components.

In the first phase, the emphasis has been on conducting a wide range of applications in different industrial areas, using existing and evolving technology from RAISE, analyzing experience, proposing and implementing enhancements, and thus evolving RAISE technology. In the second phase, the emphasis is on standardization, demonstration (by applications), industrialization of support tools and documentation, and widespread publicity.
The strategic approach is to:

- apply the RAISE technology, in the area of formal methods, to industrial projects in the development of several different industrial applications
- evolve the RAISE technology by evaluating its success in those applications
- undertake substantial technology transfer, both within the project and in the form of courses, training material and extensive publicity
- standardise RSL as a wide-spectrum formal language for specification and design
- provide an extensive library of reusable specification and design components.