Dr Mohammad Harris
Meet Dr Harris, a PhD graduate who won the Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship Award at the University’s flagship enterprise competition, Flare.
| Current job role | Founder and Managing Director at Inshira Technologies Limited |
|---|---|
| Years of graduation | 2025, 2026 |
| Course of study | PhD in Sustainable Energy and Engineering Technologies, PGCert Learning and Teaching in HE |
Building a foundation
Mohammad chose to complete his PhD at Herts because of its "strong reputation for applied engineering, close collaboration with industry and its focus on solving real-world challenges." He felt that the environment throughout his time at Herts provided him with a strong combination of engineering and entrepreneurship that encouraged him to develop technical skills, while learning how to translate research into practical solutions.
He believes that his university experience provided a great foundation. "It reinforced a lesson that still guides my work today: technology delivers the greatest value when it augments human expertise, helps people make better decisions and creates measurable improvements in operational and environmental performance."
Growing with Flare
He believes that the University’s enterprise support has been valuable to his entrepreneurial journey, by providing him with 1-2-1 guidance and funding.
Mohammad won the Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship Award at Flare 2026 for his business Inshira Technologies Limited – a manufacturing intelligence platform that combines AI and human expertise to optimise manufacturer productivity and help reduce waste. He entered the competition to test his business idea and receive feedback from experienced judges and entrepreneurs. Generously funded by the Engineers in Business Fellowship, this prize is designed to award an entrant by offering support in developing innovative business ventures in engineering and science.
"Winning the award gave me confidence that Inshira was solving a real industry problem, and one of the judges even reached out afterwards to explore potential collaboration, which was a great validation of what we’re building."
Beyond his studies, Dr Harris really enjoyed getting involved in university life at Herts. He took part in salsa and taekwondo, served as the Founder and President of the Herts Language and Linguistics Society, and became a doctoral student representative. His fondest memories are of all the people he met and worked alongside, through tackling problems together and celebrating their achievements.
What can you do?
Mohammad says to "stay curious, never stop learning," and that stepping outside your comfort zone can lead to big opportunities, "whether that’s joining a society, entering a competition, taking on a placement or simply starting conversations with new people." Every experience could shape your future.