ORCID ID:I am a voluntary research affiliate to the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. My main research interests are the use of methods from mathematical logic in philosophy of science and the formal axiomatization of scientific theories, in particular theories in physics (classical mechanics and relativity theories).
My work can be situated in the tradition of the Andréka–Németi School at the Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics in Budapest, which is inspired by David Hilbert's sixth problem Mathematical Treatment of the Axioms of Physics, by the logical empiricism of the Wiener Kreis, and by Alfred Tarski's initiative Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science.
I obtained my Bachelor, Master and Doctor of Philosophy degrees at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. The supervisors of my PhD research were prof. dr. Jean Paul Van Bendegem and dr. Gergely Székely:
I have been studying, using, designing and programming computers as a hobbyist since 1975 (explore the hardware and retrocomputing projects in my Home Lab). I have worked in the information systems industry as consultant, analyst, programmer, Unix & Linux systems administrator, database administrator (on Sybase ASE, PostgreSQL, Oracle & IBM Informix), instructor, and digital electronics designer. I have used a broad range of programming languages, from low level machine code and assembly language, over imperative languages such as C, Fortran, Python, Basic, Pascal/Modula2 and various batch/scripting languages, to declarative languages such as SQL and Prolog.
From 2010 until 2015, I have been teaching Mathematics, Statistics, Information Systems, History & Philosophy of Science, and History of Western Philosophy at Vesalius College Brussels, for which I received the Best Professor Award in 2012 from the Vesalius Student Government.
Since 2019, I am managing strategic interdisciplinary marine & oceanographic research programmes at the Belgian Federal Ministry of Science Policy (BELSPO).
My entry into marine science policy was entirely serendipitous: after passing the federal Level A civil service examinations for a position as digital security programme manager in the space programme at BELSPO, an internal transfer moved the manager of the North Sea research programme into that space role, and I was recruited in 2019 to take over the marine and oceanographic portfolio instead. What began as an unexpected turn into an unfamiliar domain quickly grew into deep engagement with European and global ocean governance, science-policy interfaces, and international research infrastructures.
- EMBRC-ERIC (European Marine Biological Resource Centre, a European Research Infrastructure Consortium): Vice Chair since 2022, member of the General Assembly since 2019.
- JPI Oceans (Joint Programming Initiative Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans): Vice Chair since 2026, member of the Management Board and General Assembly since 2019.
- Joint Calls: Lead for the joint calls on Ecological Aspects of Deep-Sea Mining and Science for Good Environmental Status.
- Deep-Sea Mining International Engagement Hub: Chair of the Governance Council since 2025.
- Knowledge Hub Science for Good Environmental Status: Chair (2020-2025) of the Governance Council until the hub's transition into a dedicated research project (supporting the development of new monitoring methods for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, MSFD).
- Joint JPI Oceans & JPI Climate Knowledge Hubs: Member of the Governing Council for both the Knowledge Hub Sea Level Rise and the Knowledge Hub Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).
- Knowledge Hub Offshore Infrastructure: Currently participating in the preparatory work to establish this new knowledge hub.
- European Marine Board (EMB): Governing Board Member.
- IOC-UNESCO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO): Member of the Belgian Delegation to the Assembly since 2019 and the Executive Committee since 2025.
- International Seabed Authority (ISA): Member of the Belgian Delegation to the Council in 2025.
Slides, abstracts, and details from my policy talks and international sessions are listed on the Conferences & Talks page.
