Thomas Krüger studied aerospace engineering at the University of Braunschweig where he also received his PhD on Adaptive Flight Control Systems using Neural Networks. From 2012 to 2021 he worked in different positions in industry: as a project manager for development and certification of Special Mission Aircraft, in the field of technology development for autonomous systems in manufacturing at Volkswagen and as manager of an engineering department for unmanned systems at Airbus Defence & Space. Since 2021 he is responsible for the business development and scientific strategy at DLR’s new Institute for AI Safety and Security. His main professional interests are Systems and Safety Engineering for autonomous and AI systems, strategy development and agile methods for safety critical systems.

DLR is the Federal Republic of Germany's research centre for aeronautics and space. We conduct research and development activities in the fields of aeronautics, space, energy, transport, security and digitalisation. The German Space Agency at DLR plans and implements the national space programme on behalf of the federal government. Two DLR project management agencies oversee funding programmes and support knowledge transfer. Climate, mobility and technology are changing globally. DLR uses the expertise of its 55 research institutes and facilities to develop solutions to these challenges. Our 10,000 employees (as of February 2021) share a mission – to explore Earth and space and develop technologies for a sustainable future. In doing so, DLR contributes to strengthening Germany's position as a prime location for research and industry.