top of page

TEAM

ULiège logo
Centre de Recherches en Agriculture Urbaine logo
Aquimer logo
Groupe One logo
Howest logo
JUNIA.png
Odisee logo
PCG logo
PTI kortrijk logo
Vigo Universal logo
Vlakwa.png
Aqua4C logo
Atelier de Bossimé logo
UniLaSalle logo
Pole Légumes Région Nord logo

Operator - coordinator

ULiège logo
Centre de Recherches en Agriculture Urbaine logo

ULiège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech

Research Center for Urban Agriculture

The Research Center for Urban Agriculture (C-RAU) at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ULiège intends to create synergies between the academic world, decision-makers, and companies to develop new cultivation techniques adapted to the urban and peri-urban environment. Among other research activities, the C-RAU studies innovative horticultural productions including soil based system (market gardening agroforestry, hilltop crops), soilless systems (hydroponic, bioponics and aquaponic systems), indoor cultivation for medical crops, and rooftop greenhouse cultures. C-RAU has been conducting research on aquaponics for nearly 10 years, including research associated with aquaponic microbiota, sludge digestion, and aquaponic system modeling. C-RAU is the coordinator of Smart Aquaponics and thus ensures harmony between the project partners. The C-RAU is also responsible for the development of the informatic model on which the serious game, the aquaponics simulator and the monitoring system are based.

​

Haissam Jijakli

Haissam Jijakli

Professor in urban agriculture and phytopathology at the Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech ULiège, Haïssam is also founder and director of the Research Center for Urban Agriculture. As an expert in aquaponics, he brought together the different partners around the vision of the Smart Aquaponics project and coordinated the creation of this project.

Pierre Raulier

Pierre Raulier

Project manager with a background in bio-engineering and a PhD in plant genetics, Pierre is passionate about sustainable food system innovations. Therefore, he naturally developed a deep interest in aquaponics. He currently coordinates the operational activities of Smart Aquaponics.

Benoit Stalport

Benoit Stalport

Benoit is a bio-engineer with a deep interest in modeling, aquaponics and the development of eco-responsible activities. He is currently completing a PhD on the modeling of aquaponic systems. He is a cornerstone of the project as he develops the computer model on which all Smart Aquaponics tools are based.

Operators

Aquimer logo

Aquimer

AQUIMER is an active competitivity cluster in aquatic products in France. It responds to the needs of companies active in this sector, helping them to perpetuate and develop their activity through R&D support and technological improvement. In the Smart Aquaponics project, AQUIMER brings its expertise in communication and dissemination by accompanying the consortium in the promotion of the tools and results to their network and to the key actors of aquaponics, in France and in Europe.

​

MBRUAUT2 (2).jpg

Marie Bruaut

Marie is a project manager at the AQUIMER cluster. She has a master degree in plant biology and technology. Among other tasks, she initiates and coordinates projects related to fisheries and aquaculture. She is also actively involved in European organizations such as the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP).

Howest-logo.jpg

HOWEST

HOWEST, University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen) uses engineering sciences and technologies to improve the sustainability of energy and water management systems. HOWEST contributes to the development of a sustainable and energy-efficient aquaponics sector through the development of the PTI pilot aquaponics system. Within the Smart Aquaponics project, HOWEST is developing the low-cost sensors and the tools to transfer the data from these sensors to the application. Howest has also installed the sensors in the aquaponics systems at PTI, Uliege, PCG, Junia and Atelier de Bossimé.

​

Benny Knockaert

Benny Knockaert

Benny is an experienced IOT hardware developer, he proposes custom solutions for reliable, low-cost instrumentation. He has designed some sensors and the systems that transfer the sensor data to the application database. He also developed some of the smart control loops (flow control, energy control, etc.) for the PTI pilot system.

Smart Aquaponics logo black

Bjorn Vinois

Bjorn is a software developer specialized in data acquisition and instrumentation. He programmed the systems that collect the data from the sensors and transfer it to the application database.

Bart Leenknegt

Bart Leenknegt

Engineer in electronics, Bart is interested in multidisciplinary subjects. He strongly believes in the potential of reliable and low-cost instrumentation, boosted by a DIY-OEM-Open Sources community.

Jurgen Van Ryckeghem

Jurgen Van Ryckeghem

Jurgen is a teacher and research coordinator of "HOWEST Energy Management". As a teacher, he is mainly involved in the field of energy and information and communication technologies. He is responsible for the technical and administrative follow-up of the Smart Aquaponics project.

​

Odisee logo

Odisee

In association with the KU Leuven University, the Catholic University College Odisee created an aquaculture research group: Aqua-ERF. Freshwater recirculation aquaculture is its core activity and is concretized in an annual aquaculture course, accessible to both students and people interested in the subject. In the Smart Aquaponics project, Odisee brings its expertise in training and teaching. Odisee is therefore naturally involved in the development of the didactic content of the "serious game".

​

Thomas Abeel

Thomas abeel

Thomas received his bachelor in Agro and Biotechnology in 2010 and has been conducting research on recirculating aquaculture since 2011. He has been involved in several research projects, focusing primarily on sustainable aquaculture nutrition and intensive crayfish and turbot farming.

PTI kortrijk logo

PTI

The PTI Provincial Technical Institute in Kortrijk is a school that offers a wide range of general and technical secondary in the fields of horticulture, animal husbandry and environmental technologies. Driven by dynamic teachers, the school has chosen to test and teach innovative and sustainable production techniques such as aquaponics. PTI, and more specifically its Science & Green department, is contributing to the Smart Aquaponics project by developing didactic content for the serious game and by testing the equipment developed by Howest in its aquaponics system.

​

Nick Pannecoucque

Nick Pannecoucque

Teaching at PTI since October 2017, Nick has become familiar with the school's aquaponics system through his classes. He is active in a variety of projects at the institute, including aquaponics and Australian crayfish farming. When Germain Desmet retired, Nick took over the management of the working group dedicated to writing the didactic content of the application.

Francis Bruyneel

Francis Bruyneel

Since the 2011-2012 school year, Francis has been the director of the ITP. He then became interested in the concept of aquaponics and allowed the system installed in the ITP greenhouses to be born. Francis wants to get this message across to students: growers can use aquaponics systems to bring sustainable and fully traceable fish to market.

Rufin Degrande

Rufin Degrande

Rufin has been part of the school's organization since 1984. In close collaboration with his colleague Germain Desmet, he introduced the concept of aquaponics to PTI. This led to the realization of the aquaponics system at PTI. To this day, the school works in close collaboration with AQUA4C.

Germain Desmet

Germain desmet

Germain is a former ITP teacher, now retired. He is still involved in the ITP, on a voluntary basis. With his colleague Rufin, he formed the duo that introduced the concept of aquaponics to ITP. At the beginning of the Smart Aquaponics project, Germain took on the responsibility of writing the educational content, which is now managed by his successor, Nick.

Groupe One logo

Groupe One

Since 1998, the non-profit organization Groupe One raises awareness, provide training and support for the creation of sustainable businesses and green industries (including aquaponics).  To this end, the team develops innovative projects and tools to rethink food systems along the entire chain.  A concrete example is the installation of an aquaponics pilot greenhouse in 2012 within their business center. Within the Smart Aquaponics project, they bring their network of entrepreneurs, economic development and transition actors. They are responsible for the organization of events  and the dissemination of the project.

Caroline Bini

Caroline Bini

Caroline is a biologist and eco-consultant. Her areas of expertise are project management, training, eco-management, circular economy and sustainable food system. Within the Smart Aquaponics project, she coordinates the Groupe One team as well as the partners working on communication and dissemination.

photo sylvie G1.jpeg

Sylvie Decraecker

Sylvie is in charge of the communication within the Smart Aquaponics project. Graduated in Tourism and Marketing Management, she also deals with projects related to sustainable food and the circular economy, within the framework of various European Interreg projects. 

JUNIA.png

Junia

Junia is composed of three renowned institutions: HEI (Hautes Etudes d'Ingénieur), ISA (Institut Supérieur d'Agriculture) and ISEN Lille (Institut Supérieur de l'Electronique et du Numérique). These 3 schools develop innovation and collective intelligence. In the Smart Aquaponics project, Junia brings its knowledge and skills in agronomy, ecophysiology and modeling to develop specific algorithms for processing multi-source and multi-format data recorded in aquaponics systems. Junia also participates in the Connected Aquaponics Training Program.

​

Bertrand Vandoorne

Bertrand vandoorne

Bertrand is a teacher-researcher and head of the Agriculture Pole at ISA Lille. He teaches in the field of physiology and ecophysiology. He is also interested in the use of new technologies to develop tomorrow's agriculture: agroecology, coonected agriculture and urban agriculture.

​

Herinaina Andriamandroso

Herinaina Andriamandroso

As a teacher-researcher, Herinaina teaches new technologies in Agriculture. The implementation of aquaponic systems and connected sensors are part of the curriculum of her master students. It is therefore quite natural that Herinaina contributes to the development of the didactic content of the serious game.

Vincent Lefevere

Vincent Lefevere

Teacher-researcher, ITI, HEI Lille, Vincent teaches in the field of systems and networks. Within the project, he works on the installation and supervision of the data storage system.

Jad Nassar

Jad Nassar

A senior lecturer in computer science at HEI - Junia HdF, Jad teaches in the area of computer science and IoT. His research interests include communication and data acquisition in smart devices and wireless networks. In the project, he is involved in the installation and supervision of the data storage system.

​

PCG logo

PCG

The PCG Vegetable Growing Research and Information Center, located in Kruisem, has the mission to collect, develop and disseminate reliable knowledge to all stakeholders in agriculture and horticulture. Within its innovation division, PCG has been developing research on the optimization of professional aquaponics systems since 2012. Within the Smart Aquaponics project, PCG is in charge of the review, evaluation and optimization of the smart aquaponics growing system for use in aquaculture and industrial aquaponics. After this research phase, PCG accompanies the Aqua4C operator during the testing and implementation of the aquaponics system on an industrial scale.

Lisa Heyman.jpg

Lisa Heyman

Lisa is a researcher at the Vegetable Research Centre (PCG) in Kruishoutem. She focuses on innovations in greenhouse cultivation and cultivation systems, including research into aquaponics. Lisa is mainly responsible for demonstrating the intelligent sensors developed as part of the project.

Johan Van Hessche

Johan van hessche

A greenhouse technician at PCG, Johan is a versatile handyman who has helped refine PCG's aquaculture facility. He is involved in the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the recycled aquaculture system, as well as supporting research activities related to the project.

​

vigo universal logo

Vigo Universal

Creating innovative concepts from scratch is the strength of Vigo Universal. The company develops mobile and interactive applications involving new digital technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality or 3D scanning. Vigo Universal also offers  consulting services to help companies design their applications. Their wish is to use these tools to allow as many people as possible to understand the functioning of aquaponics. Thus, Vigo is developing the application that will host the monitoring tools, the simulator and the serious game.

Christophe Hermanns

Christophe hermanns

Consultant, programmer and passionate about new digital technologies, Christophe has over 15 years of experience in video game development. He is responsible for gamification and application programming. He also founded the company Vigo Universal.

​

Noémie Lardinois

Noemie Lardinois

Project Coordinator and Administration Manager, Noémie manages the administration of Vigo Universal. She is the link between their team and the partners or the final client.

​

​

Vlakwa.png

VITO - VLAKWA

VITO is one of the leading European research and consultancy centers in the field of clean technologies and sustainable development. Within its water unit, VITO has an independent department: the Flanders Knowledge Center Water (VLAKWA in Dutch). It brings together all the water stakeholders in Flanders, such as researchers, water technology providers, water utilities, industry, agriculture and governmental organizations. In the Smart Aquaponics project, VLAKWA brings its expertise in communication and assists the consortium in the promotion and dissemination of the results in Flanders.

Charlotte Boeckaert

Charlotte boeckaert

Charlotte is project coordinator at VITO. She obtained a PhD in applied biological sciences. Since 2009, she initiates and coordinates projects related to water and wastewater treatment, water reuse and resource recovery.

Associated operators

Aqua4C logo

Aqua4C

Aqua4C is a Flemish fish farm that produces Omegabaars in a circular system, in collaboration with the growers Tomato Masters. The Omegabaars is a freshwater, omnivorous fish, originating from Brisbane and raised in Kruisem. Its food is exclusively vegetable, without flour, fish oil or antibiotics.

​

AquaponicCopyLogoBlack.png

Stijn Van Hoestenberghe

Stijn studied aquaculture and later completed a PhD on the rearing of Omegabaars in a circular system. His research led to the establishment of the company Aqua4C.

UniLaSalle logo

UniLaSalle - Agrilab

AgriLab is a FabLab dedicated to agriculture, i.e. a shared collaborative innovation center dedicated to the agricultural sector. Based on the principle of free sharing of space, machines, skills and knowledge, it is the ideal tool for farmers and their partners, as well as for companies wishing to contribute to innovation in the agricultural sector. AgriLab's location, at the UniLaSalle farm, offers users immediate interaction with the land (adjacent agricultural plots) as well as with farmers, agronomy students, professors, agricultural equipment manufacturers, agricultural partners, IT consulting companies and startups.

Mehdi Jaber

Mehdi Jaber

Mehdi has 17 years of experience in project management, innovation management, technology transfer and change management. He has also worked for 7 years in web outsourcing. Today, he is in charge of AgriLab and its team.

Atelier de Bossimé logo

Atelier de Bossimé

L'Atelier de Bossimé is a gourmet restaurant located in a family farm since 2011. Their cuisine is simple, accessible but innovative and attentive to the quality of the products. L'Atelier de Bossimé favors local products and self-production. Most of the vegetables of the restaurant are produced in the 7.5 hectares of orchards and market gardens surrounding the restaurant. Since 2018, the workshop is equipped with an aquaponic system of about 20 m² to ensure the trout and herbs production. Thus the Atelier de Bossimé is testing the tools developed by the other partners.

Ludovic Vanackere.jpg

Ludovic Vanackere

Restaurateur, entrepreneur and farmer are all ways to describe Ludovic Vanackere, young chef and owner of the restaurant "l'Atelier de Bossimé". He is the first Belgian restaurateur to have a system that delivers fish and vegetables directly to the restaurant's customer's plate. He created this project in order to be as autonomous as possible and to control the origin of his products.

Pole Légumes Région Nord logo

Pôle Légumes Région Nord

The mission of the Pôle Légume Région Nord is to stimulate vegetable and fruit production in the Nord-Pas de Calais. To achieve this objective, the actions carried out are based on experimentation, technical support to producers and the animation of production basins.

Aquimer
Howest
Junia
Odisee
PTI
Vigo
Vito
Opérateurs associés
ULiege
PCG
Groupe One
bottom of page