Conflict of Interest Disclosure

The conflict of interest policy of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/coi) prohibits the appointment of an individual to a committee authoring a Consensus Study Report if the individual has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the task to be performed. An exception to this prohibition is permitted if the National Academies determines that the conflict is unavoidable and the conflict is publicly disclosed. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

Dr. James Davis has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the study committee for Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing because he serves as principal investigator and vice chair of the governing board of the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII), which is a public private partnership sponsored by DOE and involving industry, academia, and tax-exempt organizations. The National Academies has concluded that in order for the committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person with deep current experience with the operations of manufacturing institutes, including the unique incentives and challenges facing them and the larger smart manufacturing community. As described in his biography, Dr. Davis has extensive experience with smart manufacturing institutes and their role in the larger community through his leadership role on the CESMII governing board, as a founding member of the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition, and through his service on the Board of Governors of the Manufacturing Leadership Council. Dr. Davis works very closely with smart manufacturing institutes and at the nexus of their interface with government contracting. The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Dr. Davis is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who did not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable and has publicly disclosed it on its website (www.nationalacademies.org). The National Academies believes that Dr. Davis can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.

Mr. Stuart E. Lawrence III has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the study committee for Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing because he serves as President and CEO of Titan Robotics Inc., which develops robotic systems that enable smart manufacturing capabilities. The National Academies has concluded that in order for the committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one person with current experience leading a small business developing smart manufacturing tools. As described in his biographical summary, Mr. Lawrence, in his current role at Titan Robotics, has extensive current experience in a small corporate environment designing robotic systems that add new dimensions of intelligence to manufacturing and industrial automation. Mr. Lawrence experience includes modeling, inspecting, and processing surfaces with intelligent process control and dynamic online motion planning, with a focus on the development and adoption of autonomous robotics as tools for manufacturing and industrial processes that do not require advanced training to program and operate. The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Mr. Lawrence is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who did not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable. The National Academies believes that Mr. Lawrence can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.

Mr. Blake D. Moret has a conflict of interest in relation to his service on the study committee for Options for a National Plan for Smart Manufacturing because he is Chairman and CEO of Rockwell Automation and serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Manufacturers. The National Academies has concluded that in order for the committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established, its membership must include at least one member with current experience with the operations of a large business provider of industrial automation as well as broad and active knowledge of the changing manufacturing landscape of U.S. industry. As described in his biographical summary, as the chief executive of Rockwell Automation, Mr. Moret has extensive experience with control products for manufacturing in the large business environment, such as during his five year tenure as senior vice president of control products and solutions one of the company’s two business segments, he also has extensive experience responding to the automation needs of U.S. companies across industrial sectors and internationally through assignments in Europe and Canada. Under his guidance the company has simplified robot integration for industries, introduced digital twins, and prepared to combat the rapidly evolving industrial cybersecurity threats related to automation. The National Academies has determined that the experience and expertise of Mr. Moret is needed for the committee to accomplish the task for which it has been established. The National Academies could not find another available individual with the equivalent experience and expertise who did not have a conflict of interest. Therefore, the National Academies has concluded that the conflict is unavoidable. The National Academies believes that Mr. Moret can serve effectively as a member of the committee, and the committee can produce an objective report, taking into account the composition of the committee, the work to be performed, and the procedures to be followed in completing the study.