The Expert Behind the Code
Software engineer, researcher, educator. Building better software through disciplined engineering practices.
Dr. Stefan Trenkwalder
The Code Diagnostician
Stefan Trenkwalder has spent 15+ years at the intersection of rigorous engineering and practical delivery, working across some of the most demanding domains in software: safety-critical automotive systems, real-time embedded software, and high-stakes FinTech backends.
His academic foundation — a PhD in Robotics from the University of Sheffield, where he published 7 papers on swarm intelligence and developed a novel real-time operating system for miniature robots — gives him a rare combination of theoretical depth and production-hardened pragmatism.
But the credential that matters most is this: the announcement system he built as CTO of SZ Informationstechnik still runs on Vienna’s buses, trams, and subway stations today, serving over 2 million people every day. Software that works, reliably, at scale.
"Speed and Correctness are not enemies. The teams that ship fastest are the ones who have invested in the practices that make quality automatic — not optional."
Stefan founded Code Praxis GmbH to address a gap he observed throughout his career: companies across the DACH region struggling with slow delivery, high defect rates, and teams that have never been taught modern engineering practices. The solution is not more developers — it is better practices, applied consistently, by engineers who understand why they work.
Experience
15+ Years in Production
Code Praxis GmbH — Founder & Principal Engineer
Software engineering, in-house workshops, and online courses for companies in the DACH region. Specialising in TDD, XP, CI/CD, and trunk-based development.
2RSquared — Senior Software Engineer
Backend engineering for a FinTech startup providing no-code asset management solutions. Raised test coverage from 30% to 65%, established quality metrics, and implemented LLM integrations.
Great Wall Motor Austria R&D — Advanced Software Engineer
Software architecture for electric vehicle inverters. Led transition to multicore architecture, championed TDD adoption, and worked with AUTOSAR and ISO 26262 standards.
FH Technikum Wien — Senior Lecturer
Developed and taught “Digital Systems and Computer Architecture”, “Hardware-near Software Development”, and “Embedded Systems Software” at the Faculty of Electronic Engineering.
University of Sheffield — Doctoral Researcher & Teaching Assistant
PhD research in swarm robotics. Published 7 papers, developed a novel RTOS for miniature robots, designed an optical communication protocol, and taught C, C++, and mobile robotics.
SZ Informationstechnik — Chief Developer & Co-Founder
Co-founded and led development of an automatic announcement system now used across Vienna’s entire public transport network (Wiener Linien), serving 2+ million daily commuters.
Data and Measurement Service GmbH — Software & Embedded Engineer
Embedded device development, software engineering, customer support, and cross-platform solutions for Linux and Windows.
Education
Academic Foundation
PhD, Robotics
Research on swarm robotics, computational constraints, and real-time operating systems for miniature robots. 7 published papers.
BSc, Computer Engineering
Computer science degree with a focus on computer engineering and digital architectures.
BSc, Electrical Engineering
Electrical, electronics, and communications engineering.
Ing (Engineer), Chemistry
Engineering degree with focus on computational chemistry.
Work with Dr. Trenkwalder
Whether you need a senior engineer, a workshop for your team, or a course to level up your skills — let’s talk.