In the chemical industry, life science products are considered the most promising markets for the near future. Since pharmaceutical products, food, and fine chemicals are subject to increasingly more complex standards and stricter legal restrictions, efficient methods for the separation of thermally unstable products are needed. Chromatographic separations, for example, usually create the main costs of the overall production process. To realize the full potential of the chromatographic separation, the desired product quality has to be maintained, while operating the process at the economic optimum by reliable and efficient process monitoring and control. For control of batch chromatography, model parameters were estimated and operating parameters were optimized online. The concept has been tested on a laboratory-scale column with an industrial process control system. Experimental results for a sugar separation are given.