Joost-Pieter Katoen receives KHMW Langerhuizen Lifetime Achievement Award 2026

Professor Joost-Pieter Katoen received the KHMW Langerhuizen Lifetime Achievement Award 2026 this week in recognition of his influential scientific career.

Katoen develops mathematical methods to prove the reliability of software used in systems ranging from satellites and trains to cars and flood defence infrastructure.

He is Professor of Computer Science at RWTH Aachen University and part-time Professor of Formal Methods and Tools at the University of Twente. For more than twenty-five years, he has helped shape international research on formal methods, with a visionary focus on combining correctness and performance in the verification of complex systems.

"We develop methods to detect errors in software before they can lead to serious, and sometimes even catastrophic, consequences. Take software that controls satellites, for example. Once a satellite is in space, you cannot simply repair it if something goes wrong. That is why it is essential to be able to prove that such systems work correctly."

"We regularly find software errors that are fortunately detected before the software is put into operation. Modern cars, for instance, contain an enormous amount of software. If something goes wrong, the consequences can be serious—for example, if sensors provide incorrect signals or a steering command is executed incorrectly. This is exactly where formal verification techniques can make a difference."