Software technology has an enormous impact in society. In our mobile phones, microwaves, televisions, high-tech medical equipment, communication networks, financial administration and industry equipment reliable software is crucial. There is a strong need to understand complex software systems, to improve their quality and to improve the efficiency of developing new software.

CWI focuses in its research on various aspects of software engineering, evolutionary systems and multi-media applications. Research is applied in many practical areas such as forensic science, financial auditing, software maintenance and transport logistics. CWI investigates for instance forensic software for reconstruction of erased and incomplete data.

CWI is also co-founder of Informaticaonderzoek Platform Nederland (IPN) and collaborates with the Dutch Forensic Institute (NFI), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Belastingdienst, Computational Auditing.com, CWI spin-off company SIG (Software Improvement Group), IBM, Philips, Fredhopper and many others.