(263a) CAPE-OPEN Laboratories Network Status Report

The CAPE-OPEN Laboratories Network (CO-LaN) is the not-for-profit organization maintaining and developing the CAPE-OPEN (CO) standards providing interoperability between process simulation software. The objective of CO-LaN is to expand process modelling capability through software interoperability standards. The CO-LaN is a user driven organization (http://www.colan.org/) and capitalizes on further opportunities that can be gained from open standard interfaces for process simulation.It has been in operation since 2001, growing in size and scope. Benefits of CO standard implementation include developing a broader market for simulation software vendors, giving users access to best in class process models, and allowing software component suppliers to support the full range of potential users.

CO-LaN will report on its current membership as well as on its managerial organization.

Five missions have been defined for CO-LaN:

• user priorities for CAPE-OPEN standards
• dissemination actions
• maintenance of interface specification standards
• testing and interoperability facilitation
• training facilitation

Reporting will be provided on activities related to each of these missions over the last 12 months. Activities of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) within CO-LaN will be highlighted.