Dr Horst Kloeden

Horst Kloeden is Global Vice President of Automation & R&D at DP World, where he advances automation and drives the transition toward autonomous operations, shaping the Industry 4.0 approach across a global portfolio of ports and terminals. His focus includes smart equipment, robotics, AI-driven systems, industrial connectivity, as well as the platforms, data architectures, and intelligence underpinning future port operations. Throughout his career, he has operated at the intersection of automation, AI, and platform-based transformation. He previously led digital and AI initiatives in a major construction gigaproject and spent over a decade at a leading automotive OEM, where he played a key role in pioneering autonomous driving platforms and developing digital services. He holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and an Executive MBA from the University of St. Gallen (HSG).