CAPE-OPEN (CO) standards: implementation and maintenance

A standardization body (CAPE-OPEN Laboratories Network) has been established to maintain and disseminate software standards for the computer aided process engineering (CAPE) domain developed in the international projects CAPE-OPEN and Global CAPE-OPEN. It ensures that software tools used by most process industries reach a level of interoperability required for sustained growth and competitiveness. Goals and means of this body are described as well as some parts of its work process, especially related to the development of standards specifications.