A novel tuning strategy based on RPN for MIMO MPC is presented. The RPN indicates how potentially difficult it is for a given system to achieve the desired performance robustly. It reflects both the attainable performance of a system and its degree of directionality. These system's properties are the basis of the proposed RPN-MPC tuning strategy, which is applied in the controller design of an air separation plant and a CSTR with the Van de Vusse's reaction. Although it was only used a linear nominal model, the results can also be applied at least at some extent for nonlinear systems with uncertainties. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Ltd.