Applying a Formal Method in Industry: a 25-Year Trajectory

Industrial applications involving formal methods are still exceptions to the general rule. Lack of understanding, employees without proper education, difficulty to integrate existing development cycles, no explicit requirement from the market, etc. are explanations often heard for not being more formal. Hence the feedback provided by industry to academics is not as constructive as it might be. Summarizing a 25-year return of experience in the effective application of a formal method - namely B and Event-B - in diverse application domains (railways, smartcard, automotive), this article makes clear why and where formal methods have been applied, explains the added value obtained so far, and tries to anticipate the future of these two formalisms for safety critical systems.