COPA-DATA

Industrial automation software from Austria, built around the zenon platform

COPA-DATA, founded in 1987 in Austria, makes zenon, which automates the engineering and operation of equipment in factories, energy networks and buildings. It began as HMI and SCADA software, the visualisation and control layer for plant, and the company says the platform now reaches well beyond that, connecting machines, plants and buildings and bringing operational and IT systems together.

Inside the zenon platform

Zenon gathers data independently of the hardware beneath it and manages process data across sites. It includes native drivers and communication protocols, so it can connect from the sensor up to higher-level systems. It also provides analytics and reporting, with reports sent automatically to different devices. For engineers, projects can be created independent of location, redundantly, across teams, without programming knowledge or in automated fashion. A second product, straton, is a flexible soft PLC for embedded platforms, built on IEC 61131-3, that also handles data processing.

Industries and standards

• Energy and infrastructure: substation automation, renewable generation, storage systems and public transport, in line with ISO, ISA, IEEE and IEC standards.
• Life sciences and pharmaceutical: ISA-88 batch control, support for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and GAMP 5 Category 4 software.
• Food and beverage: line management and plant information for breweries and distributed sites.
• Automotive: condition monitoring, links to ERP and planning systems, and energy data management.
• Machine building: a machine operating system for makers of equipment.
• Sustainability: supervision of renewable generation, energy and utility monitoring, and building automation.

Reach

The company works through subsidiaries, distributors and a partner community that builds applications on zenon, and shows its work at trade events and webinars.

The company's stated aim is to help people manage complexity with ease, in settings as different as a machine in a production hall, a substation control room or a PC in an executive office. It lists reference projects in municipal water management, energy storage and renewable energy management.

COPA-DATA develops zenon, a software platform for engineering and running automated equipment in manufacturing plants and infrastructure. It started out as HMI and SCADA software and now links machines, plants and buildings, bringing operational and IT systems together.

Products and services

• zenon platform: visualisation and control, data acquisition that does not depend on hardware, and management of process data across sites.
• Energy automation: substation automation, renewable generation, storage systems such as BESS, and public transport, built to ISO, ISA, IEEE and IEC standards.
• Pharma compliance tools: ISA-88 batch control and support for FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and GAMP5 requirements.
• Analytics and reporting: evaluation of collected data with reports sent automatically across devices.
• straton: a soft PLC and data processing environment based on IEC 61131-3 for embedded platforms.
• Sustainability functions: energy management, energy data management and monitoring of utilities and building automation.

Customers and markets

• Energy and infrastructure operators
• Life sciences and pharmaceutical makers
• Food and beverage producers, including breweries, and process manufacturing
• Automotive plants, mechanical engineering firms and machine builders

Key facts

• Based in: Austria
• Main product: zenon Software Platform
• Recognition: named one of six Austrian tech pioneers classed as unicorns