Published on 23 May 2024
On 14 May 2024, the STEREO team hosted its annual Belgian Earth Observation Day (BEODay) at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Hasselt, Belgium. The gathering brought together a diverse, ever-rejuvenating community of researchers, professionals and enthusiasts, all united by their passion for earth observation.
A Day of Discovery
The atmosphere was electric as participants eagerly engaged in discussions, presentations and networking.
The morning kicked off with an invigorating keynote by Erik Luijts, a renowned science communicator. His words resonated with everyone present, emphasizing the art of translating complex data into compelling narratives. Attendees left the session inspired, armed with fresh ideas to communicate their findings effectively. But it didn’t end there—just before lunch Nora Trieu, Anthoni Tarigan, and Paul Jhon Diezon from KU Leuven continued the theme of science communication. Their presentation highlighted the power of storytelling in conveying earth observation discoveries to a broader audience.
 |
 |
 |
The heart of BEODay lay in the introduction of the newly kicked-off STEREO IV projects. These spanned diverse topics, from monitoring African forests to assessing Belgian ammonia levels. Researchers shared their project objectives and first experiences, sparking animated Q&As and fostering collaboration.
In the afternoon, we embarked on a journey toward Destination Earth (DestinE). Experts like Joern Hoffmann from ECMWF and Inez Sanz Morere from ESA painted a vivid picture of our collective vision. We gained insight in the Belgian perspective through Piet Termonia from RMI, followed by Oscar Baez Villanueva from UGent who envisioned a digital twin of the terrestrial water cycle. Finally, Roland Billen from ULiège explored semantic segmentation of urban LiDAR point clouds.
Aftermath
In closing, we extend our sincere gratitude to all the attendees and presenters who made this year's Belgian Earth Observation Day a success. Your valuable insights, discussions and meaningful networking enriched the event, leaving us inspired and eager for what lies ahead. If you didn't make it, fear not: all presentations and photographs are available for free download on the event page.