| This textbook is intended for use by SPI (software process improvement) managers and researchers, quality managers, and experienced project and research managers. The papers constitute the research proceedings of the 14th EuroSPI (European Software Process Improvement, www.eurospi.net) conference in Potsdam, September 26-28, 2007, Germany. Conferences in this series have been held since 1994 in Dublin, 1995 in Vienna (Austria), 1997 in Budapest (Hungary), 1998 in Gothenburg (Sweden), 1999 in Pori (Finland), 2000 in Copenhagen (Denmark), 2001 in Limerick (Ireland), 2002 in Nuremberg (Germany), 2003 in Graz (Austria), 2004 in Trondheim (Norway), 2005 in Budapest (Hungary), and 2006 in Joensuu (Finland). EuroSPI established an experience library (library. eurospi.net) which will be continuously extended over the next few years and will be made available to all attendees. EuroSPI also established an umbrella initiative for establishing a European Qualification Network in which different SPINs and national initiatives join mutually beneficial collaborations (EQN - EU Leonardo a Vinci network project).
With a general assembly during October 15–16, 2007 through EuroSPI partners and networks, in collaboration with the European Union (supported by the EU Leonardo da Vinci Programme), a European certification association has been created for the IT and services sector to offer SPI knowledge and certificates to industry, establishing close knowledge transfer links between research and industry. The biggest value of EuroSPI lies in its function as a European knowledge and experience exchange mechanism for SPI know-how between research institutions and industry. |