KTH is co-founding an international basis theory in Software Engineering

SEMAT is short for Software Engineering Method and Theory and is a Swedish initiative for an international standard for Software Engineering . The term "software engineering" has existed since 1968 when a decision was made at a NATO conference that the software development area should be called software engineering.
- Their opinion was that there should be engineering methods for how software systems are developed and maintained. Since then we have been trying to figure out better ways of developing software and we have switched between many different software development methods during the years, says Mira Kajko-Mattsson.

Regardless of which methods we are using in the industry or at universities software engineering meed to be based on clear theoretical foundations.
- We are mature enough and have enough knowledge now after over 40 years, to be able to create the basic theory and define the essence of software engineering, says Mira Kajko-Mattsson.

In November 2009, the well-known software guru Ivar Jacobson initiated SEMAT. SEMAT consists of 30 volunteers from around the world who jointly develop a sound theoretical basis for practical software development for industry and academia. At the moment they are developing the foundation consisting of a number of kernel elements and a modeling language that will help developers to describe the essence of their current and future "practices" and methods. Mira Kajko-Thompson participates in the group that works with the kernel elements.
- We don’t create any new methods. We create the foundations and a new way of thinking, says Mira Kajko-Mattsson.

So far, SEMAT has met three times at different places in the world. December 15- 17, they gathered at KTH, school of ICT for another meeting. There was also  a presentation of SEMAT , at December 16 in the auditorium that was open for anyone to attend.