We are pleased to announce SSBSE 2013, the fifth edition of the annual symposium dedicated to Search Based Software Engineering (SBSE). Search Based Software Engineering (SBSE) studies the application of meta-heuristic optimization techniques to various software engineering problems, ranging from requirements engineering to software testing and maintenance. The symposium builds on the flourishing interest in SBSE and provides a welcoming forum for discussion and dissemination that will strengthen the rapidly-growing international SBSE community.

The 5th Symposium on Search-Based Software Engineering (SSBSE 2013) will be co-located with ESEC/FSE 2013 in St. Petersburg, Russia, from 24th to 26th of August, 2013. With the wide coverage of topics studied by the SBSE community, ranging from Requirements Engineering, to design tools, testing and verification, we are certain that SSBSE will host many exciting results and talks for everyone who is attending ESEC/FSE. To ensure fruitful academic cross-polination, we offer reduced rates to all attendees of ESEC/FSE.

The 5th SSBSE will also host SBSE Challenge, encouraging you to apply your SBSE techniques, tools, and expertise to a set of selected programs.

There will be prizes for the Best Paper (EUR 500), the Best Student Paper (EUR 500) and the Best Competition Paper of SBSE Challenge (a XBox 360 system and EUR 1,000). All the accepted papers will be included in the proceedings.

The authors of the best symposium papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their papers for a special section of Elsevier’s Information and Software Technology journal.

We look forward to receiving your submissions and seeing you in the historic city of St. Petersburg.