Mary Doyle-Kent

Dr. Mary Doyle-Kent is the Head of Department in the Department of Engineering Technology at SETU Waterford, leading the Cost Oriented Automation Research Unit within the Centre for INformation SYstems and TEchno-culture (INSYTE). She holds a Technical Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from TU Wien (Austria) and has over 20 years of academic experience across SETU and TU Dublin. Her research focuses on Industry 4.0/5.0, human-centered automation, diversity and inclusion in engineering, and sustainability.

Education:

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Collaborative Robotics in Industry 5.0), TU Wien, 2021
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering (3D Finite Element Analysis), Dublin City University, 2016
• Masters in Mathematics, Trinity College Dublin, 1990
• Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, Technological University Dublin, 1990

Research Interests:

• Industry 4.0/5.0 frameworks and societal impacts
• Inclusion and diversity strategies in STEM
• Engineering ethics and environmental design
• Collaborative robotics and automation
• Techno-economic analysis of sustainable systems

Professional Roles:

• Chair of IFAC’s Global Diversity & Inclusion Executive Committee
• Member of Engineers Ireland’s Diversity Committee
• External Examiner at TU Dublin and Visiting Lecturer at University for Business and Technology, Kosovo

Recent Research Trends: Her publications emphasize sustainable manufacturing, gender equity in technology, and frameworks for institutional inclusion. Current work includes ecological certification indices for socially intelligent manufacturing and career reentry strategies for women in STEM.

Grants & Collaborations: Leads transdisciplinary research initiatives on Industry 5.0 and collaborates internationally on diversity in engineering education. Funded projects include studies on solar-assisted biomass heating systems and lifecycle assessments in construction.

Labs & Teams: Directs the INSYTE Centre and co-organizes global conferences like the IFAC TECIS 2024 on Technology, Culture, and International Stability.