Semantically rich interfaces for simulation interoperability

Abstract

The size and scope of simulation models is constantly growing, in order to keep up with the requirements imposed by increasingly complex scenario analyses. Moreover, advances in the performance of simulation hardware, of communication software and development frameworks, also offer unprecedented opportunities. As a consequence, the complexity of the design, implementation and deployment of simulation models is also increasing, up to a point that it might soon become unmanageable. We present an approach aimed at taming such complexity based on the use of ontologies to structure modelling and simulation knowledge, which can be manipulated through knowledgebase manager for facilitating model/tool development, integration and simulation. We will present two case studies and demonstrations of this approach both in the context of the integrated assessment of the common agricultural policies of the EU where models pertaining different domains (environmental, social, economic) and different scales (local, regional, continental) must be integrated, and in the context of integrated design of energy supply systems where automatic runtime generation of 'superstructure' of 'an' energy supply systems under specific conditions and flexible integration of corresponding model components/tools are required .