Earth Observation expert at the interface of science, policy, and application. I work as Belgian delegate to ESA and EU Copernicus at BELSPO, connecting satellite data with operational services, scientific communities, and societal impact. My background spans academic research, open-source development, and international programme coordination.

Below you can find more info about recent activities and what I work on:

You can find more info about open-source teaching materials via: Resources and teaching and training I have done and I am available providing via Teaching & Coaching and also overal insights after changing from an academic carreer to a policy oriented track at Eureopean and international level related to Earth Observation.

You can contact me via: Contact and find out more about myself Curriculum.

Recent Activities

ESA EO Science & Applications opportunities for Belgian actors (16 June 2026). Co-organised this event for Belgian actors; well-attended and successful. Event page

Belgian CLMS consultation (BELSPO, 8 June 2026). Organised the Belgian consultation on the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. LinkedIn post

Presentation at BeGEO 2026 (Brussels) Operational Flood and Emergency Mapping from Space: How Belgium, ESA and EU Copernicus Turn Data into Decisions — presented at the BeGEO 2026 conference, showing how multi-source satellite data are processed into rapid maps for emergency services and policymakers. Slides available on request via Contact.

Teaching in Brazil (February 2026) Short course at the Serrapilheira Institute on Sentinel-1/2 data processing, time series analysis, and ecosystem resilience — training nationally selected researchers.

PhD jury participation (Sion, Switzerland, 2026) Internal defence committee member for a PhD on geospatial methods.

Belgian EO user engagement (2024–ongoing) Continued engagement with Belgian and European communities on Copernicus services, data infrastructures, and operational uptake.

What I Work On

  • European Earth Observation programmes (ESA, Copernicus, Destination Earth)
  • Time series analysis and ecosystem resilience monitoring — BFAST software
  • Open-source tools and teaching materials — Geo-Scripting
  • AI and geospatial data: digital twins, DestinationEarth

Reach me via LinkedIn or jan.verbesselt[@]belspo.be

Last updated: August 05, 2026