Background The project's rationale lies in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which demands an integrated approach to water management. This requires an ability to predict the way catchment processes will interact. In most contexts, it is not feasible to build a single predictive model that adequately represents all the processes; therefore, there is a requirement for a means of linking models of individual processes. This is met by the FP5 HamonIT project's innovative solution, the Open Modelling Interface and Environment (the OpenMI). Objectives The purpose of this project was to transform the OpenMI from research output to becoming a sustainable operational product. It aimed to build the capacity to use the OpenMI and to demonstrate it in real life situations. It would also demonstrate the technical support and co-ordination. Finally, information about OpenMI would be disseminated to users. Results The OpenMI LIFE project set out to build on the extremely successful FP5 project HarmonIT. Under the HarmonIT, a number of European modellers had been brought together to design a prototype software that could link diverse models to provide reliable results. The project focused on the water environment, and specifically on the WFD, and on how to link water models to predict and understand how catchment processes interact. In this way, models developed by diverse organisations with different end-users in mind, that are working on different timeframes and dimensions can effectively talk to each other. The OpenMI LIFE project tested and evaluated the OpenMI under operational scenarios in two river basins: in the Netherlands and in Greece. A number of scenarios were used, for instance by linking sewage models and river models, or considering the effect of climate change on reservoir reliability. The testing of the software under operational circumstances highlighted key issues, such as making models compliant with OpenMI and problems with model stability once they were linked. The trials also highlighted the importance of providing adequate technical support. A key element of the project was to make the OpenMI open source, so modellers working independently on the project could make changes to the code, thus continuing to develop and strengthen the technology. This led to a number of revisions to the code, with the eventual release of a second version of OpenMI in December 2009, shortly before the end of the project. By the end of the project the OpenMI was generally viewed as the leading integrated modelling tool and was being used globally. To support this, an association was established during the project, with the responsibility of continuing to oversee the technical development of the standard, the incorporation of revisions in to different versions of the code, and the eventual release of new standards. The association also provides technical support to both model developers and end users. As part of this support the project established online training courses that could be used at university level. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).