Bridging the gap between factory data and agents

05.02.2026 · 1 Std. 7 Min.

Shownotes

You'll hear my conversation with John Harrington of HighByte, who breaks down the role of MCP services and why they’re critical for bridging the gap between factory data and intelligent agents.

In this episode, we journey from weather woes in Franconia straight into the heart of Amsterdam’s AI innovation, exploring what happens when robotics, world models, and agentic AI collide. We share our firsthand impressions from deep-dive research sessions at Lab42, where startups and researchers are joining forces to push industrial AI forward. You'll hear my conversation with John Harrington of HighByte, who breaks down the role of MCP services and why they’re critical for bridging the gap between factory data and intelligent agents.

We don’t just talk tech—we talk about the people, the practical challenges, and the evolving landscape that’s making industrial data accessible to everyone, not just engineers. If you’re curious about how symbolic AI, digital cousins, and scalable architectures are transforming manufacturing, or you want to know what’s next for AI in the Alps, this episode is your front-row seat. Tune in for insights, laughs, and a clear-eyed look at the road ahead for industrial-grade AI.

Siemens

https://www.siemens.com/global/en.html

HighByte

https://www.highbyte.com/

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

https://docs.anthropic.com/claude/docs/model-context-protocol-mcp

OPC Foundation

https://opcfoundation.org/

OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture)

https://opcfoundation.org/about/opc-technologies/opc-ua/

MES (Manufacturing Execution System)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturingexecutionsystem