The ASQF (Arbeitskreis Softwarequalität und Fortbildung) is a non-profit association that has connected people working in software quality assurance since 1996. It has more than 1,000 members, who together represent around 15,000 people. What it offers ranges from specialist group meetings, conferences and a trade magazine to certified training and the chance to help shape standards.
Key Takeaways
- The ASQF was founded in Erlangen in 1996. Today it has more than 1,000 direct members and represents around 15,000 people in member companies, from large corporations to mid-sized firms and startups.
- Members attend ASQF conferences such as the Rhein-Main-Testing-Day or the Testing Day Franken free of charge. The Testing Day Franken has drawn up to 220 participants.
- Since 1999, the ASQF has awarded a 500 euro prize for master’s and diploma theses in software quality that stand out for their practical relevance.
- A new specialist group on AI and testing is in the works, because AI agents that generate test artifacts are already changing the field.
- The new Secure Software Engineering certification can be booked now. An ASQF working group built it over several years, largely as volunteers.
What the ASQF Is and Who It’s For
The ASQF, short for Arbeitskreis Softwarequalität und Fortbildung (roughly “working group for software quality and training”), is a non-profit association for people who work on software quality. At its heart is networking: quality assurance professionals meet through the ASQF, compare notes and develop standards together.
That network is what sets the association apart. Many members have known each other for years, some for decades. Newcomers are welcomed quickly and find their first contacts in the community without much effort.
The ASQF currently has just over 1,000 members and, through its member companies, represents around 15,000 people. They range from global corporations and mid-sized companies to startups and individuals. There is a student membership, a supporting membership and, for anyone who takes an ISTQB exam, a free one-year trial membership.
Where the ASQF Comes From
The ASQF has Franconian roots: it comes from Erlangen. It was founded in 1996 on the back of a European program, the European Software Process Improvement Training Initiative (SPI). In 2026, the association turns 30.
At its core, the ASQF is a non-profit association. It started out with two subsidiaries: ASQF GmbH for events and conferences, and the International Software Quality Institute (iSQI), founded in 2004, in which the ASQF still holds a stake.
How the Certified Tester Grew Out of the ASQF
The well-known Certified Tester Foundation Level traces back to the ASQF. In the early years, it became clear that there was no standardized training for software quality assurance, and the ASQF was where that gap got filled.
The German Testing Board (GTB) started out in the ASQF’s Software Testing specialist group. Certified training and close ties with other associations have shaped the ASQF ever since.
The Network Is the Biggest Benefit of ASQF Membership
The most valuable part of an ASQF membership is still the personal network. New members can ease in, make their first contacts and figure out where they want to go in quality assurance.
Over almost 30 years, the ASQF has built up a lot of knowledge. Members get access to a database of technical articles they can learn from.
On top of that come many partnerships with events. Through these partners, members can often buy conference tickets at a discount. ASQF events of its own cost members nothing at all.
“It’s not just about what I can take, it’s also about what I can give. I learn, and at the same time I see how a training product gets developed.”
(Felix Winter)
ASQF Specialist Groups and Events
The events fall into two categories. The first is specialist group meetings. The ASQF currently organizes its field into nine specialist groups, from software testing to industry-specific groups such as medical technology and automotive.
Members and non-members alike can join these meetings. This is where people talk shop about everyday practice: how to automate, how to test manually, what matters in automotive, what makes medical technology different.
The second category is conferences, large and small, which members attend free of charge. They include the Rhein-Main-Testing-Day in Frankfurt, the Quality Night in Berlin and the Testing Day Franken, which has drawn up to 220 participants at its peak.
During the pandemic, the ASQF also launched an online format, ASQF Network, which brings together a week’s worth of quality assurance topics. Today, in-person and online events complement each other.
Why Exchange Across Industries Works
The biggest gains often come when people from different industries meet. The Software Testing specialist group doesn’t just bring together medical technology or mobility people. It brings together people from all kinds of companies.
They talk about similar problems and discover they’re not that far apart. Automotive has something to teach medical technology, and someone from finance has a tip on automation. Looking across industry lines has proven its worth for the association over and over again.
The ASQF is also a good place for new speakers to start. If you have a topic, you can try out a talk in front of 20 or 30 people before facing a big audience.
SQ Magazine: A Place to Publish
The ASQF co-publishes SQ Magazine. It was launched when the ASQF and iSQI were jointly running the Conquest conference and goes back to an idea from Stefan Görike, then managing director of both the ASQF and iSQI.
SQ Magazine now appears in two languages. Members can submit articles through the editorial team and get their ideas published. So besides listening and watching, the ASQF also offers something to read.
Training and Certification: From Project Management to Secure Software Engineering
The ASQF is active in certified training and has brought several programs to market through its own initiatives. One well-known example is the Certified Professional for Project Management, a training program for managing software projects that you can book through the ASQF and accredited training providers.
The association also owns QAMP, the Quality Assurance Management Professional. In this program, you record your personal learning history and use the certificates you’ve earned to show that you are an expert or on your way to becoming one.
A recent program shows how new certifications come about in the ASQF. A working group on Secure Software Engineering grew out of a specialist group and spent several years building a syllabus and a training course. The syllabus is available, and the first training courses can be booked.
The path usually runs in stages:
| Step | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Specialist group | Members exchange ideas in a subject area |
| Topic selection | A promising topic is identified |
| Working group | A group forms to develop a program |
| Syllabus and exam | Built over one to two years, often by volunteers |
| Release | Syllabus published, training courses bookable |
Building a certification takes far more than a few evening sessions. It is a process of one to two years, especially the first time around, and much of the work happens on a volunteer basis after hours.
Awards for Young Talent and Lifetime Achievement
Since 1999, the ASQF has awarded a prize to colleges and universities. It comes with 500 euros and recognizes master’s and diploma theses that are highly relevant to practice and show outstanding work. The prize is often presented at graduation ceremonies in front of a large audience.
The German Award for Software Quality, which the ASQF created, has a similar aim. It honors people and institutions that have made an outstanding contribution to software quality. Today it is awarded together with other partners, among them the GTB.
AI and Testing Will Shape the Coming Years
For the ASQF, the coming years will be about holding its own in a world of AI and testing. At conferences, practitioners are already showing how they test with AI, write their own agents and assemble test artifacts from the repositories of old projects and legacy code.
A specialist group on AI is planned. The guiding questions: How do we test with AI? How do you test AI itself? Anyone who wants to contribute expertise is welcome, because there is a lot of knowledge to pull together.
That is what the association is all about. The ASQF depends on the people who hold the knowledge getting involved. If you bring an interesting topic, you can learn and help shape things at the same time, as a member, a speaker, an author or in a working group.
