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 Jasper-X 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 software required.

Key topics in this episode:

• Why 80% of Australian manufacturers struggle with automation support
• How JasperNode's "atomic and unambiguous logic" keeps AI reliable
• The shift from prompt engineering to context engineering in control systems
• Building a SoftPLC from scratch instead of patching AI onto existing platforms
• Why human-in-the-loop safety is non-negotiable for production environments

This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext Technology

PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:

https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/

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Connect with Alex on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-sharikov/

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/

Learn more about Jasper-X: https://jasperx.com.au

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About Industry Sage Media:

Industry Sage Media is the content creation company behind Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast. We help automation brands grow their reach, influence, and pipeline through expert-driven content.

Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com

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.

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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/⁠

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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

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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/

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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

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 integrations, data flow from plant floor to enterprise, and managing change in IT/OT cultures. Whether you're a manufacturer, tech professional, or automation enthusiast, you'll gain perspective on BI, MES, SCADA, open source, and the future of industrial technology.

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This episode is made possible by PLCnext Technology

PLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.

Learn more at:

⁠⁠https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/⁠⁠

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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/

Connect with Jasper on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasper-louage/

Learn more about Mustry Solutions: mustrysolutions.com

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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