Greater Hamburg Area
Dr. Nils Kemme is Managing Director and Partner at HPC Hamburg Port Consulting GmbH. With 20 years of experience in the port and logistics sector, he combines deep technical expertise with a strong focus on strategic development and sustainable optimization. Since becoming Managing Director in 2021, Nils has played a key role in modernizing HPC—shaping its culture, enhancing its use of technology, and expanding its service portfolio. Today, HPC operates as an agile and forward-looking consultancy, ready to support clients in navigating the evolving challenges of global logistics. His career began in 2006 with the optimization of the AGV system at Hamburg’s Container Terminal Altenwerder. He joined HPC in 2007, managing a major brownfield terminal expansion, and later deepened his expertise through academic research and teaching at the University of Hamburg, where he earned a PhD in Operations Research with a focus on simulation-based terminal design and optimization. Returning to HPC in 2012, Dr. Kemme has since led more than 40 strategic planning and optimization projects across six continents. He spearheaded the development of HPC’s proprietary simulation tools—critical for reducing costs and emissions, increasing terminal performance, and preventing multi-million-euro malinvestments. Nils is also a regular speaker at international industry events and has published several contributions on port planning, simulation, and operations research. Today, his focus is to empower clients and teams to shape the resilient, sustainable, and high-performing ports of tomorrow.
As a Partner of HPC, Nils areas of responsibility included among others: - acquisition of clients and projects, particularly in the field of terminal design planning, optimization and simulation - overseeing the activities of HPC's simulation team - strategic development of HPC's service portfolio - leading HPC's activities in the Europe Region - personnel management and budget responsibility
Senior consultant providing consultancy around the world for the port and logistics industry, in particular container terminals, that is mainly responsible for: - terminal operations and layout planning - terminal optimisation - terminal simulation - business planning - project management
Research Associate (project manager, researcher and lecturer) on operations research, supply chain management and container logistics, responsible for: - Research projects on design and operation of container terminals; - Presentations on international conferences on terminal planning and optimisation; - Organisation of university courses on terminal planning and optimisation issues.
Deputy Project Manager for extension of HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort, responsible for: - On-site project management; - Project controlling and financial analysis; - Review of existing terminal layouts as well as infrastructure and equipment requirements; - Development and realisation of phasing concept for terminal expansion project; - Elaboration of new traffic management concept; - Elaboration of new empty container handling concept.