About us

Coordinator

Francis Berghmans received his PhD in Applied Sciences in 1998 at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB).

In 2002 he became Head of the Instrumentation Department at SCK·CEN (Belgian Nuclear Research Centre) and later of the Advanced Reactor Instrumentation Expert Group where he coordinated applied research activities in the field of photonics and more precisely optical fiber sensors and radiation effects on photonic devices. He supervised many research projects funded by the Fusion Programme of the European Commission - EURATOM as well as research contracts for Tractebel-Electrabel and the European Space Agency. He also managed irradiation services for industrial partners. As Guest Professor at the VUB he has been lecturing in the fields of Physics of Optical Materials and Structures, Photonics in Multimedia and on Optical Sensors.

Since 1st September 2007 Francis Berghmans joined the Department of Applied Physcis and Photonics at VUB where he leads the research group working on micro-structured fibres and sensors. He is the coordinator of the EU FP7 STREP "Photonic Skins for Optical Sensing" - PHOSFOS. He also serves on the Executive Board of the EU FP6 "Network of Excellence on Micro-Optics" - NEMO, in which he also leads the "Center for Reliability". F. Berghmans is also Deputy Head of the work package dealing with ethical, regulatory and reliability issues of the EU FP7 Network of Excellence "Photonics 4 Life".

F. Berghmans served as secretary, grantholder and working group leader for the COST 270 action on "Reliability of Optical Components and Devices in Communications Systems and Networks" and is now vice-chair of COST 299 on "Optical Fibres for New Challenges Facing the Information Society".

F. Berghmans authored and co-authored about 60 international journal papers and more than 120 publications in international conference proceedings. He authored 4 book chapters and delivered several invited talks. He served on many international conference programme committees. F. Berghmans is also member of SPIE’s European Advisory Committee and of SPIE’s Symposium Committee.