Geoff Kent

Geoff Kent is an Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the School of Mech., Medical & Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology (QUT). With over 35 years of experience in raw sugar factory research, consulting, and training, he specializes in cane transport, milling technology, and bioprocessing. He serves as Deputy Director of QUT's Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy, leading research in sugarcane supply chain optimization, biomass utilization, and process engineering.

• PhD: James Cook University
• Member of Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists and International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists

His research focuses on improving sugar processing efficiency through advanced milling configurations, condition-based maintenance strategies, and GIS-based biomass energy plant optimization. Recent work includes spatial optimization frameworks for bioelectricity generation and experimental studies on shredder-hammer systems.

• 2019 Emile Hugot Award for best paper
• Invited speaker at 2020 International Conference on Sustainability

Supervision spans degradation modeling for sugar mill equipment, biomass energy systems, and rail scheduling optimizations. Current projects include eliminating roll arcing in milling systems and analyzing impacts of soft cane varieties on processing.

He collaborates internationally, conducting projects in Australia, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Guatemala, Switzerland, Mexico, and Reunion Island. His work integrates mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and operational research to address challenges in agricultural and bioenergy sectors.