André Heughebaert

IT Manager

1. What is your job function at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform?

Since 2005, I’m GBIF Node Manager for Belgium and head of the IT Team. My main activities are
Open Biodiversity Data advocacy, Data transformation into DarwinCore standard, Data cleaning and
documentation. Making sure all Platform activities receive the adequate support is done with my two IT
fellows.

2. What makes it so attracting?

Discussions with data holders, understanding their concerns and discovering their passion for Life
Sciences is really enjoying. Applying IT skills (such DBMS, GIS or other tools) to Biodiversity data and
publishing this to GBIF and/or dedicated portals is really exciting and rewarding. I’m also delighted to
react to users feedbacks and read articles that re-use the published datasets. GBIF is a vivid community
of scientists and IT people I really apprieciate.

3. What makes it so challenging?

Although the Platform has developed good relations with key partners in Belgium, reaching out all data
holders and potential users of Biodiversity Data is still an ambitious program. Opening-up data from
these additional stakeholders is an endless work that could occupy me for the rest of my career. IT is
rapidly evolving and Biodiversity Data sources is exploding, but the real challenge is to help stopping the
Biodiversity loss and offer a sustainable future for the coming generations. This gives me the daily pep.