Axel Krein is the Executive Director of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, a Public-Private Partnership and the European Union’s leading Research and Innovation programme for steering aviation towards a sustainable and climate-neutral future. The aim is to develop and demonstrate disruptive new technologies and aircraft concepts aimed at reducing both CO2 and non-CO2 aircraft emissions.

Axel has been at the helm of Clean Aviation and its predecessor Clean Sky 2 since February 2019. Previously, he spent more than two decades with Airbus in various executive management positions, including Senior Vice President of Cyber Security Programme (2014-2019); Senior Vice President Research & Technology (2007 -2014); Senior Vice President Strategic Development (2004-2007); and Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer (2000-2004). Axel holds a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from the Technical University of Aachen, Germany.