Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast

In this first episode of a 3-part FlowFuse mini-series on Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast, hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with Kristopher Sandoval of FlowFuse to unpack the application gap in industrial operations — the growing distance between how many applications industrial teams need and how fast their developers can build them. Kristopher explains why so many operational workflows still...

What does it take for AI to actually deliver on the factory floor? In this episode, we explore why most manufacturing AI pilots never make it to production, and what changes when you get the data architecture right. Francisco Almada Lobo, CEO and Co-Founder at Critical Manufacturing, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss MES as the foundation for manufacturing AI, why context beats compute, a...

Howard Sachs joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss how de-risking industrial technology, championing sovereign manufacturing, and first-principles leadership are shaping Australia's industrial future. Key topics in this episode: Why de-risking matters more than product specifications in industrial sales How the Dulux Industry 4.0 project succeeded through collaboration and leadership Aust...

Most industrial AI projects fail before they produce anything useful. The models are ready, the dashboards look great, and the executive presentation landed. But on the shop floor, nobody can get clean data out of the PLC without calling the vendor. The missing piece is a data foundation. Alexander Kruger, co-founder and CEO of United Manufacturing Hub (UMH), joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes on thi...

Most industrial data projects fail before they start. The data is clean, the tools are connected, and the dashboards look great. But nobody can explain why the production line dropped 12% last Tuesday. The missing piece is human context. Bob van de Kuilen, CEO and co-founder of Thred, joins Phil Seboa to explain why knowledge graphs fill the gap that the Unified Namespace leaves open, and how pair...

Containerization is quietly reshaping how factories deploy and manage software, but most OT teams never asked for it. In this episode powered by PLCnext Technology, we explore why containers matter for manufacturing and how to adopt them without the complexity. Neil Cresswell, Founder and CEO of Portainer, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss how his platform went from an IT tool to a factor...

Carl Gould, CTO and co-founder of Inductive Automation, joins hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes for an in-person conversation recorded in Australia ahead of the Ignition Everywhere event in Brisbane. Carl traces Ignition's journey from FactorySQL in 2003 to the 8.3 release, which introduces file-based configuration, Git and GitOps compatibility, Perspective offline mode, and a new architecture f...

What happens when a controls engineer raised in coal mines starts turning chicken manure into renewable energy? In this episode, made possible by PLCnext Technology, we get a masterclass in practical automation, functional safety, and building systems that work in the real world. Jason Watts, Owner and Founder of Alpha Industrial Technologies, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss building an...

Join host Ed and Phil as they explore how PLCnext Technology is redefining what industrial controllers can do, and why openness in automation is both a massive opportunity and a serious responsibility. Martin Boers, Technical Specialist at PLCnext Technology with Phoenix Contact, joins to discuss the origins of the PLCnext ecosystem, what IT/OT convergence really looks like on the plant floor, and...

What happens when a controls engineer with 16 years of mining and manufacturing experience decides to build an AI-powered SoftPLC from scratch? In this episode, we find out. Alex Sharikov, Founder of JasperX and creator of JasperNode, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to share how he's enabling small manufacturers to program and troubleshoot their control systems using plain English, no PLC soft...

Industrial automation meets modern software as FlowFuse CEO ZJ van de Weg joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to unpack how open-source tools like Node-RED are connecting teams across IT and OT, breaking down barriers with visual, low-code programming. Hear firsthand insights about scaling automation systems, the challenges and rewards of open source in manufacturing, and clever approaches to secure d...

In this episode of Unplugged, powered by PLCnext Technology, Phil and Ed they sit down with Jasper Louage of Mustry Solutions to discuss the latest advances in industrial automation and manufacturing data systems. Jasper shares his experience bringing event-driven architectures, open source platforms, and unified namespace concepts to real-world manufacturing environments. Hear about practical int...

In this week's episode, powered by PLCnext Technology, Cisco's Chief Global Architect Kevin Wood joins the conversation to break down the practical strategies manufacturers need for secure, future-ready operations. Hear firsthand about the real-world challenges holding back IT and OT collaboration, the critical importance of visibility for protecting and optimizing your plant floor, and the evolvi...

Decades of industrial automation, SCADA implementations, and digital transformation meet the future of IIoT in this conversation with special guest Max Carritt, made possible by PLCnext Technology. Hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes trace Max’s journey from early experiences in Texas gas plants to leading multi-site SCADA modernization in Europe. This episode covers technical growth, project challeng...

IT and OT have never been closer yet more misunderstood. In this episode, powered by PLCnext Technology, David Ariens brings candid insight from his global industry experience to the table, breaking down why IT/OT convergence remains a challenge and how it’s far more than just a technical problem. Hear stories from frontline operations, learn why trust and collaboration trump technology, and get p...

In this episode of Unplugged, powered by PLCnext Technology, Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with Matt Barber, a globally respected MES specialist at Infor, to break down the evolving world of Manufacturing Execution Systems. Matt explains what MES is, how it has grown into the broader framework of Manufacturing Operations Management, and why these systems have become essential for modern manuf...

Get a firsthand look into the heart of Australian manufacturing as hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with Shane Williams and Paul Mason, two prominent voices from the Manufacturing Tech Australia Podcast. This episode examines the practical sides of digital transformation—beyond the buzzwords—to the real drivers, pain points, and breakthrough strategies shaping factories across the country....

Hans Schrynemakers joins hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss his journey from frustrated nights on the factory floor to becoming an advocate for structured, modular PLC programming. Hans brings over 20 years of automation experience, sharing hard-earned knowledge on building scalable, maintainable industrial applications. The conversation spans practical strategies for naming conventions, d...

Phil and Ed sit down with Alex Sims, Technical Support Lead at Caliper. With a background as a qualified electrician and data technician, Alex offers a unique perspective on how practical trades experience can shape and refine IoT solutions for industrial and environmental challenges. The conversation uncovers practical stories from deploying climate sensors to protect bat colonies, managing conne...

Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with Melvin Francis, a research-driven engineer and technical marketing leader at BE Services, for a packed conversation on the realities of real-time industrial automation, edge AI, and the technical leaps powering Industry 4.0. Melvin shares his hands-on journey from developing open-source real-time Ethernet protocols in India to driving innovation in Germany’s...

This special episode of Unplugged is brought to you by our sponsor, Inductive Automation and marks our first-ever in-person recording. Join hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes as they sit down live with Colby Clegg, CEO of Inductive Automation , for an in-depth conversation on the future of industrial automation and the evolution of the Ignition platform. Colby shares insights into the upcoming Igniti...

Jan Madsen, founder of Enuda, shares his unique perspective on systems integration in Europe and what it means to build an Ignition-only team that bridges the gap between operations and finance. Jan shares real stories from the plant floor, practical lessons from failed and successful projects, and why sticking to timeless business fundamentals outlasts chasing the latest tech trends. He shares in...

Engineer, content creator, and IIoT educator, Zack Scriven, joins Phil and Ed for a wide-ranging discussion on the evolution of industrial digital transformation, the impact of authentic content creation, and the power of community. Zack shares his story from being introduced to SCADA at a young age, to taking part in award-winning industry projects, to building one of the most recognized educatio...

Matthew D. Smith, CEO of fieldcloud SAS, joins host Phil Seboa for an energetic and eye-opening episode focused on industrial connectivity, retro computing, and bridging cultural divides in global automation projects. With decades of experience in IT, SCADA, and telecoms, Matthew shares his background working on legacy systems at Eskom, inventive projects in the oil and gas sector, and the practic...

Vladimir Romanov joins Phil Seboa to break down what it truly takes to shift legacy manufacturing systems into modern, data-driven operations. Bringing stories from the plant floor and insight from his time at ProveIt, Vlad reflects on the messy reality of automation upgrades, extracting meaningful data, and managing challenging change on both technical and human fronts. The episode. brought to yo...