Welcome Prof. Dr. Kai Kreisköther to the THK-AI Research Cluster

Welcome Prof. Dr. Kai Kreisköther to the THK-AI Research Cluster

The THK-AI Research Cluster is delighted to welcome Prof. Dr. Kai Kreisköther as its newest member. With his addition, the cluster grows to 25 members from across the faculties of TH Köln and deepens its interdisciplinary reach at the intersection of mobility, logistics, and artificial intelligence.

Short biography

Prof. Dr. Kai Kreisköther was appointed to TH Köln in 2024 and holds the chair for electrified, networked, and automated mobility and logistics at the Faculty of Information, Media, and Electrical Engineering. He is affiliated with the Institute of Computer and Communication Technology (ICCT).

His academic path began with a degree in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen, followed by a doctorate on flexible electric-vehicle final assembly using self-driving vehicle chassis. He then spent more than a decade in industry and as a founder: as department head at PEM Motion GmbH he led electronics and software development for e-mobility; he founded and managed DroidDrive GmbH, from which the semi-autonomous logistics robot “Ducktrain” emerged for urban last-mile delivery; and he worked as agile coach and interim project manager on hydrogen drivetrains for commercial vehicles at AE Driven Solutions GmbH. Most recently he led the Workforce Management division at INFORM Software GmbH, which develops AI-based optimisation software.

His work centres on integrating many partial technologies into functional, economically viable overall solutions. He has contributed to projects such as DHL’s StreetScooter, the e.GO Mover, and the research project POLICE on remanufacturing of electric vehicles. In teaching he covers smart mobility components, agile systems engineering for mechatronic products, electrical-engineering fundamentals, and electronics and measurement. He is a member of VDE and VDI.

Connection to AI research

Kreisköther’s field is tightly bound to modern AI: networked and automated mobility relies on machine learning for perception, trajectory planning, and fleet control, while logistics depends on AI for route optimisation, predictive maintenance, and workforce management. He also brings experience in optimising battery and production processes and in the agile engineering of complex mechatronic systems — areas in which the THK-AI Research Cluster is already active and now gains an additional, application-grounded voice.

We extend a warm welcome to Prof. Kreisköther and look forward to working together!