Eric Hermanson
Eric Hermanson is a physicist, technologist, and innovator whose career has spanned nuclear engineering, enterprise software, and advanced research into the frontiers of physics. His journey reflects a rare blend of scientific rigor, entrepreneurial vision, and a passion for pushing the limits of technology.
Academic Foundations in Nuclear Engineering
Eric earned a BSE in Engineering Physics from the University of Michigan’s Nuclear Engineering Department in 1992, followed by a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering (Course 22) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994. These years instilled in him both a deep technical foundation and a lifelong commitment to exploring the boundaries of science.
Software Innovation & Consulting Career
In 1995, Eric launched a more than 20-year career in enterprise software consulting, working across defense, telecommunications, manufacturing, and financial services. He contributed to cutting-edge projects for the defense industry, while also shaping the future of global finance by designing advanced platforms for equity, commodity, and options trading.
Perhaps his most groundbreaking achievement during this period was conceiving and inventing the first-ever mobile trading platform for the commodity industry—a pioneering technology later acquired by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the world’s second-largest commodity exchange. He went on to serve as Lead Software Architect at ICE, where he helped design and deploy high-frequency trading platforms for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Java environments.
Eric’s consulting company, Digital Universe Corporation, became a hub for designing sophisticated systems across industries, with a specialty in object-oriented, high-performance, low-latency, and high-security architectures. His frameworks powered mobile and desktop platforms used globally in financial trading.
Return to Physics & Advanced Propulsion Research
After decades of success in software, Eric turned back to his first passion: physics. Over the past ten years, he has surveyed and studied the most novel and promising physical theories published over the last quarter-century, with an eye toward identifying which breakthroughs are not only correct but also hold commercial potential.
His focus is on advanced propulsion and gravity-related physics, fields long considered speculative but now gaining renewed attention. Eric’s mission is to help bring these discoveries out of the theoretical realm and into practical applications—advancing technologies that could transform space exploration and human civilization.
Collaboration with Richard Banduric
Hermanson has also been collaborating with Richard Banduric on the development of propellantless propulsion devices. Their work is based on exploring the interactions of electric fields from charged isolated elements in relative motion. In these systems, electric field intensities change when viewed from different inertial frames of reference, due to the effect of Lorentz contraction of electric charges. This novel approach offers intriguing possibilities for propulsion without conventional propellants, a concept that could dramatically change spacecraft engineering and interstellar exploration if proven viable.
Leadership & Vision for Commercialization
Eric believes that the future of physics breakthroughs lies in collaboration and commercialization. His efforts now center on leading the development of promising technologies, ensuring that they not only succeed in laboratories but also scale into real-world applications. He is committed to expanding the number of creative minds working in advanced propulsion and physics research exponentially, knowing that collective innovation accelerates discovery.
Broader Impact & Initiatives
Beyond software and physics, Eric also founded Peace: The Final Frontier in 2015, an initiative that promotes peace through the unifying inspirations of science, mathematics, art, and exploration. He serves as an advisor to Priza Technologies, Inc., which is developing a Human/Organic Artificial Intelligence (HOAI) platform, further reflecting his commitment to bold, future-oriented technologies.
A Career Defined by Discovery
From his pioneering contributions to mobile financial platforms, to his return to nuclear and theoretical physics, Eric Hermanson has consistently demonstrated an ability to identify transformative ideas ahead of their time and turn them into reality. His career is defined not just by innovation, but by a vision of science and technology as tools to expand human potential and exploration.