What was your original motivation to become a researcher/project manager?
I was given the passion of sciences, and most particularly chemistry, by my teacher in secondary school … and I finally chose to become a chemical engineer thanks to the support of my maths teacher who invited me to present the required entrance examination
What is your (main) research area today?
At ULiege, I manage the largest LCA research group of the Brussels/Wallonia Federation. These researchers are usually responsible of LCA/ecodesign work packages in collaborative research projects, either a the regional, federal or European level. Most of them are chemical engineers, environmental engineers, or bioengineers, and are active in a lot of domains associated to energy and chemistry, including recycling activities. We also propose consultancy services, e.g., to establish Environmental Product Declarations.
What is the main focus of your team in PILATUS?
Our team leads the WP called “Sustainability, circularity & environmental impact”. In particular, we are evaluating the environmental impact associated to the IBC technology, with a first focus on ecodesign and a second one in relation with the environmental footprint industrial scale. To do so, Life Cycle Assessment methodology is used.
From all your activities within the project, what are you the proudest of/keen to share with the public?
An important message concerns the difficulty ok keeping high tech production in Europe, namely due to the low prices of Chinese products associated with the current dumping situation. On top of that, the rapid transition towards green electricity in China could also reduce the environmental advantages of producing in Europe, which reinforces the need to support innovation and industries in Europe.
How do you expect the PILATUS results will impact your organisation and the PV sector in Europe?
Pilatus results will strengthen our place in the European research landscape, in relation with our LCA expertise. Participating in such a consortium is a real opportunity in terms of networking and future collaborations. Concerning the PV sector in Europe, Pilatus will highlight the high level of competencies on the territory but also all the threats that are not under the control of industrial but relying on political decisions or geopolitical issues.
