diff --git a/src/model/io.ts b/src/model/io.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f74793
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/model/io.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/**
+ * Import/Export (C10, F8) — round-trip a Model as versioned JSON.
+ *
+ * Export is just pretty JSON: the Model is contractually plain, serialisable
+ * data (see types.ts), so `serializeModel` is lossless and human-readable.
+ * Import is the trust boundary — a file may be hand-edited, truncated, or from a
+ * future version — so `parseModel` validates shape, types, the schema version,
+ * and referential integrity before handing back a typed Model. It never throws;
+ * it returns a discriminated result so callers can surface a clear message.
+ *
+ * The validator deliberately does not re-implement the full structural guard
+ * (validation.ts): our own exports are valid by construction, and checking that
+ * every reference resolves is enough to keep the projection and loop detector
+ * from tripping over a dangling id.
+ */
+import {
+  type InformationLink,
+  type Model,
+  MODEL_VERSION,
+  type ModelNode,
+  type NodeKind,
+  type Polarity,
+  type Position,
+} from "./types"
+
+/** Pretty JSON so an exported Model is human-readable and diff-friendly (F8). */
+export function serializeModel(model: Model): string {
+  return JSON.stringify(model, null, 2)
+}
+
+/** The outcome of an import: a validated Model, or a reason it was rejected. */
+export type ParseResult = { ok: true; model: Model } | { ok: false; error: string }
+
+const NODE_KINDS: readonly NodeKind[] = ["stock", "flow", "converter", "cloud"]
+
+function isObject(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
+  return typeof value === "object" && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value)
+}
+
+function isFiniteNumber(value: unknown): value is number {
+  return typeof value === "number" && Number.isFinite(value)
+}
+
+function isPosition(value: unknown): value is Position {
+  return isObject(value) && isFiniteNumber(value.x) && isFiniteNumber(value.y)
+}
+
+function isPolarity(value: unknown): value is Polarity {
+  return value === "+" || value === "-"
+}
+
+/** Validate one node by kind, returning an error string or null when valid. */
+function nodeError(value: unknown, index: number): string | null {
+  if (!isObject(value)) return `nodes[${index}] is not an object`
+  const at = `nodes[${index}]`
+  if (typeof value.id !== "string" || value.id === "") return `${at}.id must be a non-empty string`
+  if (typeof value.kind !== "string" || !NODE_KINDS.includes(value.kind as NodeKind)) {
+    return `${at}.kind must be one of ${NODE_KINDS.join(", ")}`
+  }
+  if (!isPosition(value.position)) return `${at}.position must be {x, y} numbers`
+
+  const kind = value.kind as NodeKind
+  if (kind !== "cloud" && typeof value.name !== "string") return `${at}.name must be a string`
+  if (kind === "flow") {
+    if (typeof value.source !== "string") return `${at}.source must be a string`
+    if (typeof value.target !== "string") return `${at}.target must be a string`
+  }
+  return null
+}
+
+/** Validate one Information Link, returning an error string or null when valid. */
+function linkError(value: unknown, index: number): string | null {
+  if (!isObject(value)) return `infoLinks[${index}] is not an object`
+  const at = `infoLinks[${index}]`
+  if (typeof value.id !== "string" || value.id === "") return `${at}.id must be a non-empty string`
+  if (typeof value.source !== "string") return `${at}.source must be a string`
+  if (typeof value.target !== "string") return `${at}.target must be a string`
+  if (!isPolarity(value.polarity)) return `${at}.polarity must be "+" or "-"`
+  return null
+}
+
+/**
+ * Parse and validate JSON text into a Model. Returns `{ok:false, error}` for
+ * anything that isn't a well-formed, current-version Model with resolvable
+ * references — never throws.
+ */
+export function parseModel(text: string): ParseResult {
+  let data: unknown
+  try {
+    data = JSON.parse(text)
+  } catch {
+    return { ok: false, error: "Not valid JSON" }
+  }
+
+  if (!isObject(data)) return { ok: false, error: "Top level must be an object" }
+  if (data.version !== MODEL_VERSION) {
+    return {
+      ok: false,
+      error: `Unsupported model version ${String(data.version)} (expected ${MODEL_VERSION})`,
+    }
+  }
+  if (typeof data.id !== "string" || data.id === "")
+    return { ok: false, error: "id must be a non-empty string" }
+  if (typeof data.name !== "string") return { ok: false, error: "name must be a string" }
+  if (!Array.isArray(data.nodes)) return { ok: false, error: "nodes must be an array" }
+  if (!Array.isArray(data.infoLinks)) return { ok: false, error: "infoLinks must be an array" }
+
+  for (let i = 0; i < data.nodes.length; i++) {
+    const error = nodeError(data.nodes[i], i)
+    if (error) return { ok: false, error }
+  }
+  for (let i = 0; i < data.infoLinks.length; i++) {
+    const error = linkError(data.infoLinks[i], i)
+    if (error) return { ok: false, error }
+  }
+
+  // References must resolve, or the projection and loop detector would dangle.
+  const nodes = data.nodes as ModelNode[]
+  const ids = new Set(nodes.map((node) => node.id))
+  for (const node of nodes) {
+    if (node.kind !== "flow") continue
+    if (!ids.has(node.source))
+      return { ok: false, error: `flow ${node.id} references missing source ${node.source}` }
+    if (!ids.has(node.target))
+      return { ok: false, error: `flow ${node.id} references missing target ${node.target}` }
+  }
+  const links = data.infoLinks as InformationLink[]
+  for (const link of links) {
+    if (!ids.has(link.source))
+      return { ok: false, error: `link ${link.id} references missing source ${link.source}` }
+    if (!ids.has(link.target))
+      return { ok: false, error: `link ${link.id} references missing target ${link.target}` }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ok: true,
+    model: { version: MODEL_VERSION, id: data.id, name: data.name, nodes, infoLinks: links },
+  }
+}