Sascha Lamm and Markus Heinbücher from the Fluid Systems Engineering Group at Darmstadt Technical University attended the 36th European Symposium on Computer-Aided Process Engineering (ESCAPE 36) at the University of Sheffield from 21 to 24 June 2026. ESCAPE is one of the established international conferences in the field of process systems engineering and brings together researchers, students and industry professionals to discuss current developments in computer-aided process engineering.

Under the theme ‘Resilient Sustainability through CAPE’, this year’s conference explored how computer-aided methods can contribute to process and production systems that are both resilient and sustainable. The focus was on, amongst other things, advanced modelling and simulation techniques, mathematical optimisation and data-driven decision support. These tools are intended to help develop efficient and adaptable systems that function reliably even under uncertain conditions, whilst simultaneously reducing their environmental impact.

Within this technical context, Sascha Lamm and Markus Heinbücher presented the latest research findings from the REUNION project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The project investigates how modular process plants can be flexibly planned, interconnected and operated in an energy-efficient manner. A particular focus is on the standardised, semantic and machine-readable description of the modules known as Process Equipment Assemblies (PEAs).

The paper published as part of the conference is entitled ‘Semantic PEA Datasheets for digitalised modular plant documentation’. In it, the authors present the ontology behind the Semantic PEA Datasheet (SPEAD). This enables technical information and documentation data for modular plants to be represented as a machine-readable knowledge graph. Existing standards and guidelines such as DEXPI and VDI 2776 are taken into account, and the FAIR principles are supported.

Semantic documentation provides a basis for the consistent provision of information on operating and design parameters, interfaces and the origin of data. It can thus facilitate the exchange of information between module manufacturers, plant operators, automation specialists and regulatory authorities, and support the consistent use of technical data throughout the entire life cycle of modular plants. This publication was produced in collaboration with Sebastian Tecl and Peter F. Pelz from TU Darmstadt, as well as Ingo Dietrich and Sissy Sommer from Industrial Science GmbH.