
43 - Flowfuse, AI, and the Future of Industrial Automation with ZJ van de Weg
Unplugged: An IIoT PodcastShow Notes
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 data management and fleet updates. From home automation passion projects to strategic deployment in factories, this episode teases out the evolution of workflow integration, the importance of context, and practical ways organizations are pursuing smarter operations, plus a preview of what to expect at the ProveIt! Conference. ----- About ZJ: ZJ is the CEO of FlowFuse. As an engineer-turned-CEO with a career built on open-source software, his mission is to empower engineers to build better, more efficient software solutions. Connect with ZJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zegerjan/ ----- About FlowFuse:FlowFuse is the Industrial Application Platform that connects any machine, moves data across any protocol, models it in any data platform, and operates industrial applications at scale—accelerated by an LLM-powered copilot that uses Model Context Protocol (MCP) to connect AI directly to your live industrial data. Learn More:https://flowfuse.com/https://flowfuse.com/platform/why-flowfuse Learn about FlowFuse at ProveIT Conference:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wvbhw9MHzs Follow FlowFuse on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlowFuseInc Listen to our episode with FlowFuse’s Nick O’Leary:https://youtu.be/mNCiiAHHFGU ----- Connect with Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-seboa/ Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-fuentes-2046121a/
----- About Industry Sage Media: Industry Sage Media is your backstage pass to industry experts and the conversations that are shaping the future of the manufacturing industry.
Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com
More from Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast
This episode is brought to you by Canary Labs, and Cirrus Link Solutions.
This episode is brought to you by Cirrus Link Solutions and Canary Labs. Cirrus Link: https://unpluggediiot.com/go/cirrus-link Canary Labs: https://unpluggediiot.com/go/canary-labs
Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes sit down with David Ariens (Analytics For Industry / AVEVA) and Willem van Lammeren (Syensqo) to explore why IT/OT convergence fails — and what organisations actually get right when convergence works.
What changes when the assets you operate stop being centralised and predictable, and start being distributed, intermittent and weather-dependent? The old operations playbook breaks — and most digital programmes are still designed for the old one. Dr Hema Wadhwa, Associate, Data & Analytics | Asset Management and Performance at Aurecon, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to talk about building digital asset intelligence for the energy transition. Hema's career is a live map of that transition: she started as a Floating Systems Engineer in global oil and gas, moved through subsea engineering and power generation operations, and now leads digital strategy and analytics for mixed energy asset fleets. Key topics in this episode: - The unplanned career arc — floating production systems and subsea engineering into renewable operations - "Are you here to take my job?" — what digital transformation actually feels like from inside the control room - Why the solution providers have to evolve, not the operators - One gas turbine versus a hundred wind turbines: why renewable fleets break the old operations model - No standard across vendor SCADA screens and UIs, and what that inconsistency costs - Why there is no AI magic without the data groundwork first — and why selling it that way isn't ethical - Cognitive load: lean frontline teams, PDF report fatigue, and tools that land as a burden - OT/IT convergence and the cybersecurity questions that come with opening it up - OEM warranties and whether asset owners really have access to their own asset data - Recording data when it changes, not on a fixed scan rate - One source of truth, different views per role — data presented so it guides a decision - Predicting failures months ahead: cranes, spares, and turning downtime into planned work - BESS as a trading platform, not just another renewable asset - Why the real cost driver is people, and why it only stacks up if it scales across assets