The Future of Software: AI, Cybersecurity, Green Design & 30 Years of Entrepreneurship

What does it take to build a software company that not only survives for 30 years but continues to reinvent itself for the next 30?

In this special Studio Ab Ovo episode, founder and CEO Willem Jan Groenewoud reflects on the remarkable journey of Ab Ovo; from a small logistics consultancy founded in 1996 to an international software company serving rail freight operators, airports, airlines, and logistics organizations across the globe.

But this conversation is much more than a company history.

Willem Jan shares the strategic decisions that shaped Ab Ovo’s growth: investing early in technology, embracing advanced planning solutions, focusing on rail freight when few others did, and building long-term partnerships in mission-critical industries.

The discussion then turns to the future.

How will artificial intelligence reshape software development? What impact will quantum computing have on cybersecurity? Can software become more sustainable through green design? And what happens when AI evolves from a tool into an intelligent assistant that actively supports and teaches its users?

In this episode, Willem Jan introduces several bold ideas that are already influencing Ab Ovo’s direction:

• The rise of speech-driven software interfaces
• AI-powered “agentic angels” that anticipate user needs
• The future of software design beyond traditional coding
• Why cybersecurity is becoming a boardroom issue
• The impact of quantum computing on critical infrastructure
• The growing energy footprint of AI and data centers
• Green software design as a competitive advantage
• The challenge of maintaining mission-critical systems in an AI world
• Why businesses must rethink their survival strategy in the age of AI
• The importance of long-term thinking

One of the most fascinating concepts discussed is a future where users no longer switch between dozens of applications. Instead, they simply communicate their goals, and intelligent systems create the optimal workspace, connect relevant information, anticipate disruptions, and continuously learn from experience.

For Willem Jan, the future is not about replacing people with AI. It is about combining human expertise, trustworthy software, cybersecurity, sustainability, and intelligent assistance to create better decisions and stronger organizations.

This episode offers a rare combination of entrepreneurship, technology vision, industry insight, and practical experience from someone who has spent three decades building software for some of the world’s most complex operational environments.

Whether you're interested in AI, logistics, software engineering, digital transformation, cybersecurity, sustainability, or business leadership, this conversation provides valuable perspectives on where technology and business is heading next.

Guest: Willem Jan Groenewoud, Founder & CEO, Ab Ovo
Host: Martijn Meerman

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Our mission is to improve the operational processes, to support the sustainability targets, and enhance the profitability of our customers with more efficient resource usage and streamlined processes.

We do this because we care.

We thrive in complexity. We embrace innovative, business-minded thinking and cherish devotion and passion. The perfect combination of talented colleagues, strong industry ties & eagerness to create eco-friendly solutions.

Always Hands-On

We take a no-nonsense, down-to-earth approach to tackling challenges by rolling up our sleeves. We go the extra mile to deliver high quality results that provide the most value to our customers.

Always Together

We believe in better together – with our customers and with our teams. By bringing people, processes, and data together we create mutual benefits that have an impact on our customers and society.

www.ab-ovo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ab-ovo/

In this episode of Studio Ab Ovo, we talk with Assil Al-Ibrahim, Senior Business Consultant at Ab Ovo and Product Owner of RCP: Rail Capacity Planner.

RCP is Ab Ovo’s integrated planning solution for the rail market, built on top of the DELMIA Quintiq platform. It brings different types of planners together in one application: from rolling stock and employee planning to path, long-term, and short-term planning, as well as day-of-operation adjustments.

Assil explains how RCP helps planners create efficient plans while taking business rules, labor rules and operational constraints into account. Instead of relying on separate Excel sheets, disconnected applications, or individual planner experience, RCP creates one single point of truth for everyone involved.

In the conversation, we discuss how RCP supports rail companies with:

• Integrated planning across multiple resources
• Real-time feedback on business and labor rules
• Decision support when disruptions occur
• Automatic plan generation with solvers
• A single point of truth for all planners
• Flexible views and KPIs tailored to planner workflows
• Integration with existing systems, such as maintenance planning or disruption information
• Real-time impact analysis for delays, construction works and operational changes
• Modular implementation, allowing customers to start with one part of the solution
• Continuous improvement through customer feedback and “over-the-shoulder” sessions

Assil also explains how RCP evolved from custom-built rail planning applications into a feature-rich product that still allows flexibility and customization. Customers can implement the full solution or start with specific modules, such as employee planning, and expand later.

We also look at the future of RCP. Recent developments include integration with TAF TSI, the European framework for standardized data exchange between rail companies. Ab Ovo is also working on mobile functionality that allows employees, such as drivers or yard staff, to request holidays, share preferences, and potentially swap shifts, subject to labor rules and operational constraints.

This episode offers a clear look into how smart planning technology helps rail companies work more efficiently, respond faster to disruptions and give planners better tools to make reliable decisions.

If you work in rail, logistics, planning, operations, or digital transformation, this conversation gives valuable insight into the power of integrated planning.

Our mission is to improve the operational processes, to support the sustainability targets, and enhance the profitability of our customers with more efficient resource usage and streamlined processes.

We do this because we care.

We thrive in complexity. We embrace innovative, business-minded thinking and cherish devotion and passion. The perfect combination of talented colleagues, strong industry ties & eagerness to create eco-friendly solutions.

Always Hands-On

We take a no-nonsense, down-to-earth approach to tackling challenges by rolling up our sleeves. We go the extra mile to deliver high quality results that provide the most value to our customers.

Always Together

We believe in better together – with our customers and with our teams. By bringing people, processes, and data together we create mutual benefits that have an impact on our customers and society.

www.ab-ovo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ab-ovo/

From Cybersecurity to Community Impact: How Jaap Looijen Gives Old Laptops a New Purpose

At Ab Ovo, technology is about more than software and systems. It is also about people. In this edition of Studio Ab Ovo, we spoke with Jaap Looijen, Senior Consultant IT Management. During the day, Jaap helps protect Ab Ovo’s networks, systems, and customer data. In his spare time, he sells retired laptops to fund projects that support children who need it most.

Our mission is to improve the operational processes, to support the sustainability targets, and enhance the profitability of our customers with more efficient resource usage and streamlined processes.

We do this because we care.

We thrive in complexity. We embrace innovative, business-minded thinking and cherish devotion and passion. The perfect combination of talented colleagues, strong industry ties & eagerness to create eco-friendly solutions.

Always Hands-On

We take a no-nonsense, down-to-earth approach to tackling challenges by rolling up our sleeves. We go the extra mile to deliver high quality results that provide the most value to our customers.

Always Together

We believe in better together – with our customers and with our teams. By bringing people, processes, and data together we create mutual benefits that have an impact on our customers and society.

www.ab-ovo.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ab-ovo/