Scott Brown
Director of Digital Innovation · IT/OT Architecture · Industrial AI Governance
About
I've spent over 30 years at the intersection of manufacturing operations and digital technology — from pharmaceutical clean rooms and GxP-validated data platforms to industrial automation and AI governance frameworks.
As Director of Digital Innovation at Polaris Automation, I build the governance frameworks, IT/OT reference architectures, and operating models that help manufacturers get real value from AI and data — without the vendor hype. My focus is on what actually delivers measurable outcomes: practical, phased implementations that respect plant floor reality while pushing what smart manufacturing can do.
Substance over hype. Plant floor over pitch deck.
Skills
IT/OT & Industrial
- IT/OT Architecture & iDMZ Design
- Unified Namespace (UNS)
- OT Cybersecurity & Zero Trust
- Smart Manufacturing & SCADA
- Information Modeling (CESMII/OPC UA)
Data & AI
- Industrial AI Governance
- Semantic Layer Development
- Manufacturing Data Platforms
- Machine Learning (Stanford certified)
- Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Approach
- Governance-First Implementation
- Human-in-the-Loop Design
- Phased, Measurable Rollouts
- Build vs. Partner Discipline
- Substance Over Hype
Interests
AI Governance at Human Scale
Founding Board Member, AI Freedom Alliance. Focused on creating governance frameworks that work for organizations without Big Tech's resources or regulatory capture capacity.
Knowledge Architecture
Obsessed with how people capture, connect, and leverage information. Running sophisticated personal knowledge management using Zettelkasten methodology. The system for thinking about systems.
Strategic Life Planning
Applying the same analytical frameworks I use for manufacturing transformation to personal decisions—retirement location analysis, financial modeling, scenario planning. Currently comparing international and US options with actual data.
Building Things
From Flask dashboards for inventory management to wood-fired hot tub installations. Problem-solving doesn't stop at the plant floor.