In this paper, a moving horizon state and parameter estimation scheme for chromatographic Simulated moving bed SMB processes is proposed. The simultaneous state and parameter estimation is based on a high-order nonlinear SMB model which incorporates rigorous models of the chromatographic columns and the discrete shiftings of the inlet and outlet ports. The estimation is performed using sparse measurement information: the concentrations of the components are only measured at the two outlet ports (which are periodically switched from one column to the next) and at one fixed location between two columns. The goal is to reconstruct the full state of the system, i.e. the concentration profiles along all columns, and to identify critical model parameters reliably such that the estimated model can be used in the context of online optimizing control. The state estimation scheme is based upon a deterministic model within the prediction horizon, state noise is only present in the state and the parameters prior to and at the beginning of the horizon. By solving the optimization problem with a multiple-shooting method and applying a real-time iteration scheme, the computation times are such that the scheme can be applied online. Numerical Simulations of a validated model for a separation problem with nonlinear isotherms of the Langmuir type demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithm. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.