Stefan Kracht has been working in the international airline industry for four decades - as a pilot, type rating instructor and test pilot. Since 2007, he has been using his extensive expertise to support projects with a focus on innovation and R&D in the field of air traffic management and ground operations as a consultant and aviation expert.

Since 2020, he has been working intensively on the implementation of a concept for autonomous movement of aircraft on the apron, which served as a template for the AEM Speedport project. The vision of bringing together sustainable, innovative and AI-based approaches from various stakeholders to create an autonomous eco-system has been driving him for years. The exchange with many visionaries in the industry and creating smart synergies with companies, universities, institutions such as the DLR and various aviation experts have led to the AEM Speedport project receiving €11.9 million in federal funding in 2024.