Teachers

Bjorn Geuns, owner of Code Gorilla BVBA and managing partner at 23: Seconds (Cronos Group – Hyperion Cluster) has more than 20 years of experience in software research and development. This experience includes (among other things) custom development, cloud and edge computing, artificial intelligence, mixed reality and so on.
An avid RC pilot and Class 1 certified operator, Bjorn has been active in the Belgian UAV sector for several years, combining his passion for RC flying with his software background. As one of the first residents of Droneport, Bjorn is involved in several (inter) national UAV projects.

As a passionate and technically oriented researcher, Bart obtained his PhD from the KU Leuven Robotics Research Group on improving the range and speed of drones. Its innovative drones are a combination of multi-rotor and fixed-wing aircraft and have won several awards. With a clear vision of what the future should look like with drones, he is actively involved in the roll-out of projects such as emergency medical deliveries or urgent air inspections and with the aim of improving society with this new technology.

Michael Maes, Director of Operations, co-founder of EuroUSC-Benelux, has considerable experience in various areas of aviation, both manned and unmanned. Initially, this was mainly in ATC and Private Jet dispatching in manned aviation, when suddenly unmanned aviation gained momentum as RPAS Flight Operations Manager for Gatewing – now Delair, a high-end RPAS manufacturer. In this role, Michael provided assistance to customers around the world who enabled RPAS flights. Now as EuroUSC-Benelux Director of Operations, he is responsible for UAS assessments, exams and legal compliance.

After several years of technical research at Xios University of Applied Sciences limburg on distributed software, he created a drone that was able to update software in flight. After the research period he went to Cegeka to work in different fields. One was AI and embedded systems. By combining the previous research with newer and available AI techniques, he creates self-driving vehicles and drones that use AI to perform complex tasks. In addition, he is still a consultant for Cegeka in other fields and contributes to various AI-related projects in the SmartICT department of the PXL (self-driving cars, automated robots, poker-playing robotic arms, …).

PXL

Joeri Gerrits, Education Program Manager at PXL University of Applied Sciences, is a general and commercial aviation enthusiast and private pilot, mainly for recreational purposes. As a pilot, it flies in command with many different types of manned one- and multi-engine aircraft. In the summer you usually see Yuri hovering just below the clouds in his glider. He is also a theoretical knowledge instructor in a wide range of aviation subjects such as meteorology, navigation and aircraft instruments. As a board member of the Royal Aeroclub Limburg Wings in Zwartberg (Genk) he is very active within the Flemish General Aviation and Gliding community.

Uhasselt

Pieter Vandekerkhof is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Governance at Hasselt University and is affiliated with the Research Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Firms (RCEF). His research focuses on various themes m.b entrepreneurship, start-ups and scale-ups as well as governance in family businesses. Furthermore, he is responsible for many projects that aim to further optimize the Flemish ecosystem of start-ups and growing companies. In the field of education, he is the driving line of the entrepreneurial learning line with courses such as Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship, Design Thinking, Agile Business Model Design and Strategy Models.

Uhasselt

Maarten Corten is a lecturer in accounting and auditing at Hasselt University and is affiliated with the Research Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Firms (RCEF). His research focuses on various themes m.b the role of accounting and auditing for private companies. In particular, he examines the added value that auditors/auditors can bring to entrepreneurs and companies to contribute to their success and what characteristics and competencies are important here. In the field of education, he is responsible for coordinating the subjects ‘corporate accounting’, ‘continuing accounting’, ‘consolidation and international accounting’ and ‘auditing’.

Uhasselt

Ine Umans is a Doctor’s Assistant Finance/Accountancy at the Faculty of Business Economics at Hasselt University. She conducts research within the Research Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Firms (RCEF) of Hasselt University. Her research is situated in two areas: on the one hand the transfer in family businesses and on the other hand asset pricing in the context of family businesses. In the field of education she teaches among other things ‘financial analysis’, ‘corporate finance’, ‘entrepreneurial finance’, ‘performance management’, and ‘governance and accountability’.