diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0a62b88..ecb05bd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,3 +48,11 @@ The full list of annotated documents is available in Documents in Benchmark.xlsx
 | EN | https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14oA3pT6FmebUWhic6zyxkWSAOPxvOQPg?usp=sharing |
 | IT | https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1frkLwHywjDg9SUqxfkymyJNb1DLXJPWZ?usp=sharing |
 
+
+## Converting data to additional formats
+
+The data can be converted to new formats such as BIO. For instance, run the following command for converting xml files to BIO: 
+
+\$ python format_converter.py --iformat xml --oformat bio --lang en 
+
+
diff --git a/format_converter.py b/format_converter.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ccc581d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/format_converter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from zipfile import ZipFile
+from glob import glob
+import argparse
+import json
+
+def convert_xml2BIO(lang='en', xmi_file_name='teresa.xmi'):
+    from cassis import load_typesystem, load_cas_from_xmi 
+    
+    available_languages = [l.split('/')[-1].lower() for l in glob('./benchmarks/*')]
+
+    if lang.lower() not in available_languages:
+        print(f'{lang} folder does not exists. The available languages are {available_languages}')
+        return
+
+    for datafolder in glob('benchmarks/'+lang.upper()+'/xml/*'):
+        
+        for zfile in glob(datafolder+'/webanno*.zip'):
+            
+            typesystemfile_content, doc = None, None
+            with ZipFile(zfile) as myzip:
+                with myzip.open('TypeSystem.xml', 'r') as myfile:
+                    typesystemfile_content = myfile.read().decode()
+                typesystem = load_typesystem(typesystemfile_content)
+                
+                try:
+                    with myzip.open(xmi_file_name) as myfile:
+                        doc = load_cas_from_xmi(myfile.read().decode(), typesystem=typesystem)
+                except:
+                    continue
+                    
+            span_list = []
+            for sp in doc.select('custom.Span'):
+                span_list.append({'covered_text':sp.get_covered_text(), 'label':sp.label, 'begin':sp.begin, 'end':sp.end})
+
+            if len(span_list) == 0:
+                continue
+                
+            tok_list = []
+            for tok in doc.select('de.tudarmstadt.ukp.dkpro.core.api.segmentation.type.Token'):
+                tok_list.append({'covered_text':tok.get_covered_text(), "begin":tok.begin, "end":tok.end})
+                
+            sent_list = []
+            for snt in doc.select('de.tudarmstadt.ukp.dkpro.core.api.segmentation.type.Sentence'):
+                sent_list.append({'covered_text':snt.get_covered_text(), 'begin':snt.begin, 'end':snt.end})
+
+            recent_annot_index = 0
+            recent_sent_index = 0
+            for tok in tok_list:
+                recent_span = span_list[recent_annot_index]
+                if tok['covered_text'] is None or recent_span['label'] is None:
+                    continue
+                if recent_span['begin'] == tok['begin']:
+                    print(tok['covered_text']+'\t'+'B-'+recent_span['label'])
+                elif recent_span['begin'] < tok['begin'] and recent_span['end'] >= tok['end']:
+                    print(tok['covered_text']+'\t'+'I-'+recent_span['label'])
+                else:
+                    print(tok['covered_text']+'\t'+'O')
+
+                #if tok['covered_text'] in '.!?':
+                if tok['end'] == sent_list[recent_sent_index]['end']:
+                    print() # new line between sentences.
+                    recent_sent_index += 1
+                    if len(sent_list) > recent_sent_index:
+                        print(sent_list[recent_sent_index]['covered_text'])
+                    else:
+                        print('last sent in doc')
+
+                if tok['end'] == recent_span['end']:
+                    left_longest_annot_index = recent_annot_index
+                    while span_list[left_longest_annot_index]['end'] >= span_list[recent_annot_index]['begin']:
+                        if (recent_annot_index + 1) < len(span_list):
+                            recent_annot_index += 1
+                        else:
+                            break
+                            
+def convert_sentbio2sentJSON(sentbiofile):
+    with open(sentbiofile) as f:
+        sentence_chunks = f.read().split('\n\n')
+
+#     print(sentence_chunks[1], end='\n\n')
+
+    testsents = []
+    for tok_annots in sentence_chunks:
+    #     print(tok_annots)
+
+        sent_tokens_list = []
+        sent_annots_list = []
+
+        for tk_ann_str in tok_annots.split('\n'):
+            tk_ann_list = tk_ann_str.split('\t')
+
+            if len(tk_ann_list) != 2:
+#                 print('Skipped:')
+#                 print('tk_ann_str:', tk_ann_str)
+#                 print('tk_ann_list:', tk_ann_list)
+                continue
+
+            sent_tokens_list.append(tk_ann_list[0])
+            sent_annots_list.append(tk_ann_list[1])
+            
+        final_sent_instance = {}
+        final_sent_instance['text'] = " ".join(sent_tokens_list)
+        final_sent_instance['label'] = 'smell' if (len(set(sent_annots_list))>1) else 'nonsmell'
+
+        print(json.dumps(final_sent_instance, ensure_ascii=False))
+    
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+    my_parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='convert Odeuropa benchmark data from a format to another one.')
+    my_parser.add_argument('-i', '--iformat', type=str, help='the source format', required=True)
+    my_parser.add_argument('-o', '--oformat', type=str, help='the target format', required=True)
+    my_parser.add_argument('-l', '--lang', type=str, help='the language')
+    my_parser.add_argument('-b', '--sentbiofile', type=str, help='the language')
+
+    args = my_parser.parse_args()
+
+    print('args are:', args)
+
+
+    if args.iformat == 'xml' and args.oformat == 'sentbio':
+        convert_xml2BIO(args.lang, 'teresa.xmi')
+    elif args.iformat == 'sentbio' and args.oformat == 'sentjson':
+        convert_sentbio2sentJSON(args.sentbiofile)
+    else:
+        print(f'The conversion from {args.iformat} to {args.oformat} is not defined.')
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..caf6845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+dkpro-cassis==0.7.0