Štefan Klein

Štefan Klein is a Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD) in Bratislava, Slovakia, and leads the Department of Transport and Design. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Mackintosh School of Art in Glasgow since 2005. As founder and CEO of KleinVision, s.r.o. (co-founded with Anton Zajac in 2017), he pioneered the AirCar flying car prototype, achieving Certificate of Airworthiness from Slovak Transport Authority in 2022.

• Education:
  • Slovak University of Technology (1983)
  • Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD), Slovakia
  • École des Beaux Arts et Design, Saint Étienne (1993)
• Leadership:
  • Head of Department for Transport and Design at AFAD
  • Co-founder of AirExplore charter airline
  • Founder of KleinVision, s.r.o.

Research Interests focus on transport design and aerospace engineering, blending automotive innovation with flight dynamics. His work emphasizes composite materials and CFD/FEM simulation methods for optimizing aerodynamics and structural integrity.

Key Publications include press releases and technical reports on AirCar’s inter-city flight (2021), certification milestones (2022), and 2025 production prototype unveilings. Earlier works from 1989–1996 detail foundational flying car designs like AeroMobil I/II.

Collaborations span automotive giants (Audi, Volkswagen, BMW) and academic institutions like VUT Brno. He holds 12 patents for AirCar’s transformation technology.

Labs & Teams include KleinVision’s R&D group and AFAD’s Transport Design Studio. Partnerships with SKMODEL (composite materials) and ADEPT Airmotive (engine development) are central to his projects.