Breakthrough in Smarter Labs: OPC UA and Allotrope Standards Integrated
A significant milestone has been reached in the journey toward smarter, digitally connected laboratories. Spectaris, the Allotrope Foundation, and the OPC Foundation have successfully demonstrated the integration of Allotrope Foundation Ontologies (AFO) and the Allotrope Simple Model (ASM) into the OPC UA (Unified Architecture) framework.
This achievement, presented at the 8th OPC UA Laboratory and Analytical Devices Standard (LADS) hackathon on April 11, 2025, in Germany, marks a turning point for interoperability in laboratory environments. The demonstration showcased how semantic data models and communication standards can be combined to deliver FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) across analytical labs.
Dr. Matthias Arnold, CTO of the LADS OPC UA Joint Working Group, spearheaded the implementation within the broader Spectaris initiative for networked laboratory equipment. By mapping AFO dynamically into OPC UA nodesets, the solution enables scalable, semantically rich labeling of laboratory device data, improving both data management and system interoperability.
A Unified Standard for Smarter Labs
OPC UA, widely adopted as a modern Industrial IoT (IIoT) architecture, provides secure, platform-independent communication across devices and systems. Combined with Allotrope’s structured data models, this creates a seamless bridge between live data streams and documented analytical results.
“For the first time, the combination of OPC UA LADS and the Allotrope framework enables seamless integration between communication and documented data,” said Dr. Matthias Arnold. “Ontologies like AFO provide the conceptual foundation necessary to achieve true FAIR data across laboratory environments.”
The Allotrope Simple Model (ASM) was used to represent analytical results in two ways:
As downloadable files via secure OPC UA file services
As JSON objects embedded within OPC UA, directly accessible via OPC UA clients
This ensures traceability, machine-readable semantics, and alignment with FAIR data principles.
Collaboration Driving Digital Transformation
The integration highlights the value of cross-organizational collaboration in digital transformation:
“The integration of Allotrope models into OPC UA represents a significant advancement for semantic interoperability in the lab,” said Stefan Hoppe, President of the OPC Foundation. “This accelerates the journey toward harmonized and future-ready laboratory ecosystems.”
“By federating open standards like Allotrope and OPC UA, we unlock the connected, digital lab of the future,” added Janet Cheetham, Chair of the Allotrope Foundation. “This collaborative approach not only accelerates progress but also sets the stage for industry-wide transformation.”
Outlook
The initiative underlines the alignment of Allotrope Foundation and Spectaris in advancing open standards across instrumentation, data modeling, and lab automation. Technical documentation and implementation artifacts will be made available to the broader community to encourage reuse, feedback, and further collaboration.
For detailed insights, the technical presentations by Dr. Matthias Arnold (AixEngineers) and Heiko Fessenmeyer (Agilent Technologies) from OPC Day 2025 International can be accessed here: Watch the presentations.
