Hendrik Kramer
Hendrik Kramer: Logistics Leaders of the Year 2024 - donated by STILL
Hendrik Kramer (*1995) is the co-founder, mastermind and CEO of FERNRIDE. The award, presented by the Logistics Hall of Fame and donated by Hamburg-based STILL GmbH, honors his vision of “Human-Assisted Autonomy” in road freight transport and its successful implementation. The technology enables the remote takeover of autonomous, electric trucks and combines autonomous driving with teleoperation in a hybrid system: an automation solution for commercial vehicles in which vehicles can be moved without a driver. Truck drivers will transition to a digital role, the trucker becomes the operator.
| Sector | Commercial vehicle industry, Software |
| Country | Germany |
| Current position | Co-founder and CEO, FERNRIDE |
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Vita
Born: 8.2.1995, Haren (Ems)
2011- today: Founder, Kramer-Dressage.com
2014 - 2017: University Bremen & DTU Kopenhagen
2017 - 2019: TU Munich & Stanford University
2019 - today: Co-Founder & CEO, FERNRIDE
2023: Series A FERNRIDE: 50 Million Euro
2023: Capital 40 under 40 Entrepreneur Award
2024: Forbes 30 under 30 Award
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Merits
- Hendrik Kramer studied engineering at the University of Bremen and management and technology at the Technical University of Munich, where he specialized in entrepreneurship and autonomous driving. Scholarships also enabled him to study at DTU in Copenhagen and Stanford University in California. During his time in Munich, Kramer was a scholarship holder in UnternehmerTUM's Manage&More program.
- Hendrik Kramer is the CEO and mastermind behind FERNRIDE. Together with Dr. Maximilian Fisser and Jean-Michael Georg, he founded the tech company in 2019, focusing on "Human-Assisted Autonomy." The technology remotely controls autonomous electric trucks and combines autonomous driving with teleoperation in a hybrid system: an automation solution for commercial vehicles that allows them to be operated without a driver.
- Kramer is convinced that automation is the only way to transform the logistics industry. He is contributing to solving the global driver shortage and advancing the energy transition. His long-term vision is to enable commercial vehicles to drive autonomously on public roads and highways. Kramer aims to transform truck drivers into operators - a shift that would not only address the global driver shortage but also accelerate the transformation of logistics and fundamentally enhance the value of the driving profession. Market experts believe that FERNRIDE will play a pivotal role in the development of autonomous, scalable driving technologies.
- The jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame recognized his vision of “Human-Assisted Autonomy” in road freight transport and its successful implementation as a role model. Hendrik Kramer's entrepreneurial spirit has laid the foundation for a safe entry into autonomous electric driving. His initiative contributes to the energy transition, helps increase profit margins for logistics companies, alleviates the global driver shortage, and enhances the safety of logistics workers, while supporting the logistics industry's transformation to future-proof operations and processes.
- To realize his vision, Kramer initially launched scalable automation solutions for trucks in yard and port logistics. FERNRIDE combines autonomous driving technology and human intelligence in a hybrid system known as “Human-Assisted Autonomy.” The tractor units operate autonomously 80 to 90 percent of the time and are monitored by a remote operator at a monitor workstation designed to resemble a vehicle cockpit. Cameras and sensors on the vehicles scan and record their surroundings. The data is transmitted to the vehicle, allowing it to perform driving tasks independently. Simultaneously, data is sent via the mobile network to the operators, who can remotely assist the vehicles.
- The technology is based on more than ten years of scientific research but, for legal reasons, can currently only be used in private, enclosed spaces such as logistics centers, factory premises, and port sites to handle containers, move swap bodies, or transport goods in warehouses. It has been successfully implemented in partnership with companies like Volkswagen, HHLA, and DB Schenker, which collectively operate over 1,000 yard trucks in Europe.
- Within the next five years, Kramer plans to bring Human-Assisted Autonomy to public roads with additional vehicle types. FERNRIDE is not manufacturing the vehicles itself but is working with strategic partners, including Krone Fahrzeugwerk and the Dutch manufacturer Terberg.
- Experts believe that FERNRIDE will play a decisive role in the development of autonomous, scalable driving technologies. In just a few years since its founding, the company has achieved significant success, raising a total of 60 million dollars in investor funding. In addition to its practice partners, Munich Re and public investors such as Bayern Kapital and the German government's Deep Tech and Climate Fund are also on board. The further development of autonomous technology and the scaling of the automation solution through deep learning and artificial intelligence are top priorities on Kramer's agenda, as he seeks to advance the technology and manage increasingly complex processes. The start-up employed over 150 people in 2024 and is set to go public by the end of the decade.
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Gala Reception 2024 Video
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Gala Reception 2023 Picture Gallery
Photos: Sebastian Gabsch/Logistics Hall of Fame
