Is the software engineering essential in the nuclear sciences?

Most of the programming applications in nuclear experiments are considered as critical software due to the fact that possible failures can result in significant economic losses, physical damage or threats to human life. The use of a strict software engineering in the development of software for this applications could guaranty a high quality product that fulfills all the requirements of a critical system. The development of software for most of the nuclear experiments or applications, such as safety system software, requires the use of a carefully planned and controlled development process that incorporates the best available approaches to the various aspects of software engineering. We have devised a software process for critical systems, it helps to improve the quality of the product, and permits to save costs and time derived from systems designed without an appropriate software process.