The LIC Summit in Gorinchem took place on September 26, 2025, at the Evenementenhal in Gorinchem, the Netherlands.
The event brought together professionals from the reinforcement and precast concrete industry to provide insight into the collaboration between LIC and Progress and to introduce aheadSuite, a new platform designed to streamline collaboration between design, manufacturing, and logistics teams.
Participants had the opportunity to discover how the two organizations—LIC Software Development and Progress Software Development (part of the Progress Group)—are joining forces to accelerate digital transformation in the sector.
Background on the partnership
LIC and Progress are joining forces to develop a uniform software ecosystem for the reinforcement and concrete sector. This partnership builds on previous collaborations: LIC and Progress had already been working together for many years before LIC joined the Progress Group in 2024.
During the Summit, emphasis was placed on how these strategic steps will shape software development for the reinforcement and concrete industries in the coming years and how they have laid the foundation for an integrated set of tools that connect machine operations, design workflows and plant processes.
The goal of which is to break down data silos and enable smoother, more reliable information flow across multiple stakeholders in the supply chain.
Introducing aheadSuite
aheadSuite is introduced as a new, unified, web-based and future-proof platform focused on data exchange across software and machines.
Its architecture emphasizes openness and interoperability, featuring a robust API and multi data format support to accommodate diverse systems and equipment. The platform is designed to handle at least five data formats, including industry standards like IFC, BVBS and PXML, ensuring compatibility with common design and production processes.
By consolidating data exchange into a single, web-based hub, aheadSuite aims to reduce manual data transfer, minimize errors and provide real-time insight into the status of projects across different locations and partners.
Within aheadSuite: the Ahead Rebar Suite
A core component of aheadSuite is the Ahead Rebar Suite.
This sub-ecosystem targets the specific needs of reinforcement fabrication and mesh production, where speed, precision and coordination between design and manufacturing matter most.
By enabling closer data synchronization between software and machines, the platform supports more predictable production planning and fewer reworks.
Benefits and results
The goal of the aheadSuite and the Ahead Rebar Suite is to create a single, integrated ecosystem that links design, fabrication, logistics and ERP systems.
This holistic approach promises several benefits:
- Enhanced planning and coordination: a centralized data platform improves scheduling, material planning and production sequencing, reducing the time lag between design decisions and execution on the shop floor.
- Better traceability: end-to-end data capture enables better traceability of components, batches and changes, facilitating quality control and compliance with regulations.
- Data-driven workflows: standardized data formats and a uniform API enable more automated workflows, reducing manual data entry, errors and rework.
- Closer collaboration between software and machines: closer integration with manufacturing equipment and machines enables faster feedback loops and more responsive production coordination.
- Improved interoperability: multi data format support ensures compatibility with a wide range of tools and configurations, easing adoption and future integrations.
- Scalability and future-proofness: a web-based platform with a robust API, designed to adapt to new formats, devices or processes, protecting long-term investments.
A closer look at the Ahead Rebar Suite
During the Summit, several new modules of the Ahead Rebar Suite were showcased, including live demonstrations of data exchange processes, templates and optimization functions, which provided deeper insights into the new all-in-one software solution. Also the migration and transition from BFW to the aheadSuite were briefly addressed.
By introducing the aheadSuite and the Ahead Rebar Suite, it was clear to everyone present that a shift towards greater interoperability, data-driven decision-making and closer collaboration between design, manufacturing and logistics has been made – ultimately aimed at improving efficiency, reliability and competitiveness across the sector.