News
Recap: Gherkin is dead, Long live BDD?
- 11 November 2025
From Gherkin to models — a new way forward
The session was opened by Kaspar van Dam (ICT Improve), who set the stage for an evening of discussion and discovery. The keynote presentation was given by Debjyoti Bera, scientist at TNO-ESI, followed by a contribution from Konstantinos Traganos, System Integration & Test Architect at ASML.
Debjyoti shared insights from the latest TNO-ESI research on combining BDD with MBT, showing how model-based approaches can overcome some of the inherent limitations of text-based BDD frameworks like Gherkin, such as their limited expressiveness and high maintenance effort. Konstantinos then illustrated how these ideas are already being applied in practice at ASML, bridging theory and reality.
Open the pdf to take another look at Debjyoti’s presentation.
Debate and collaboration
The title of the session proved well chosen: “Gherkin is dead?” quickly turned into a lively debate about what BDD truly stands for. Attendees from a wide range of companies and research institutes engaged in animated discussions about the essence of BDD, the role of shared understanding, and whether tests should drive requirements, or the other way around.
“It was great to see the energy in the room and the lively debates among people,” said Kaspar van Dam afterwards. “This is what the ICT Knowledge Hub is all about: learning together!”
Takeaways and next steps
The evening concluded with one clear takeaway: BDD isn’t (just) about Gherkin. It’s about collaboration, shared understanding, and finding the right tools to express what users truly need. Whether that’s through plain text, visual models, or a combination of both, the future looks promising.
Even during the informal drinks afterwards, discussions continued about the potential of combining BDD and MBT. Meanwhile, ICT Group is already working with the open-source tooling developed by TNO-ESI to build a real-world demo environment , setting the stage for a “Part 2” of this event in 2026.
What’s next?
The next ICT Knowledge Hub event, “Exploring AI Assistance for Code Quality,” is already scheduled. Another opportunity to exchange ideas, explore innovation, and connect with peers.
