Rate My Professor Andrew Harris

Professor Andrew Harris is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sydney. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge in 2002, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Queensland in 1994, and first-class honours in engineering from the University of Queensland in 1996. A Chartered Engineer, he is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and Engineers Australia (IEAust). Harris has extensive experience bridging industry and academia, having served as Australian Director of Laing O’Rourke’s Engineering Excellence Group, the company’s future engineering and innovation consultancy. He is Co-Founder and CTO of Novalith Technologies, a process scale-up expert aiding technology commercialization. Additionally, he holds non-executive directorships at Hazer Group Ltd (ASX: HZR), Sicona Battery Technology, and Phantm, and serves on the advisory boards of the Australian Research Council Centre for Robotic Vision and AgriFutures Australia.

Harris’s research specializes in disruptive innovation and sustainability at the interfaces of chemistry, biology, engineering, and materials science, addressing environmental challenges. His interests encompass digital technologies including IoT, robotics, automation, AI, big data, and augmented/virtual reality; biomimetics such as phytomining and biological templates for carbon capture, clean energy, and atmospheric water harvesting; advanced materials and nanotechnology for energy and environmental applications; green engineering; smart cities; and hydrogen production from renewable feedstocks. He pioneered technologies like FreeFAB, the world’s largest 3D printer, and SunSHIFT, a modular solar power plant. Harris has influenced the field through keynotes at the 2017 Warren Centre Innovation Lectureship, 2016 Engineers Australia National Congress, Australian Future of Work Conference, Future Cities Conference, and Chief Innovation Officer’s Summit. His academic impact is evidenced by an h-index of 54, over 11,977 citations, and an ARC Future Fellowship. Awards include the 2025 Clunies Ross Technology Innovation Award and recognition as one of Australia’s 50 most innovative engineers in 2016.