The author of “ Industrial AI” book in 2020 by Springer and a pioneer in industrial big data. Dr. Jay Lee is an internationally recognized leader in Industrial AI and smart manufacturing, serving as Clark Distinguished Chair Professor and Director of the Industrial AI Center at the University of Maryland. His work focuses on next-generation machine learning for industrial systems. He leads the Data Foundry—an extensive platform of 100+ real-world industrial datasets used to develop scalable AI solutions and train future engineering talent—and spearheads the Industrial Physical AI Factory initiative to cultivate a new generation of industry-ready AI engineers.

Dr. Lee currently serves on World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council in Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains, the Board of Governors of the Manufacturing Executive Leadership Council of the National Association of Manufacturers, the Board of Trustees of MTConnect, and as Senior Advisor to McKinsey.

Previously, Dr. Lee was Founding Director of the NSF I/UCRC Center on Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS), a global consortium of 130+ companies recognized for its economic impact. He also served as Vice Chairman of Foxconn Technology Group and led the establishment the first WEF Lighthouse (Lights-Out factory) Award in 2019. In addition, he advised a number of Foxconn BUs to earn multiple World Economic Forum Lighthouse Factory awards. Earlier leadership roles include positions at the National Science Foundation, United Technologies Research Center, and the U.S. Postal Service’s advanced technology team, where he contributed to the first handwritten ZIP-code dataset used in pioneering neural network research.

Dr. Lee is Editor-in-Chief of IOP Machine Learning: Engineering and serve as the chair for ASTM AI in Manufacturing Technical Committee (F50). He was selected as SME’s 30 Visionaries in Smart Manufacturing (2016) and 20 Most Influential Professors in Smart Manufacturing (2020). He is widely recognized as a global thought leader shaping the future of AI-driven manufacturing.