Jan-gerd Frerichs

CTO, OrbiFarm

Dr. Jan-Gerd Frerichs leads technology development at OrbiFarm GmbH in Germany, where he drives innovation in fully automated controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems.

Prior to joining OrbiFarm®, he headed the Future Farming division at Körber Technologies GmbH where he and his team developed various concepts for the next level of growing indoors. Before joining Körber, he served as Senior Vice President for Software, Automation, and IT at Kalera (International) GmbH. There he played a pivotal role in developing automation and software solutions for large‑scale indoor farming operations. He further strengthened his industry impact as Chief Digital Officer and Head of Software & Automation at &ever GmbH, contributing significantly to pioneering innovations in indoor farming technology, from prototypes and local retail solutions up to highly automated farms in Kuwait and Singapore.
With extensive experience managing global, interdisciplinary teams across both start‑ups and established enterprises, Dr. Frerichs has consistently demonstrated strong strategic and organizational leadership.
He holds a PhD in Technical Chemistry from Leibniz University Hannover and a diploma in Electrical Engineering, underscoring his solid scientific foundation and technical expertise.
Dr. Frerichs’ career reflects a broad spectrum of experience across Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA), biotechnology, digitalization, automation, and adjacent technology domains—positioning him as a key driver in shaping the future of sustainable, technology‑enabled food production.