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New management
The period 2023-2024 was marked by significant changes at our institute. No fewer than three Executive Directors succeeded one another during this short period. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Martine De Mazière, who served as interim director of BIRA-IASB for 12 years without ever being appointed or officially recognized for her commitment and constant support throughout those years. I am sure that all the institute's collaborators join me in expressing their appreciation.
I would also like to thank Ronald Van der Linden for ensuring a smooth transition, allowing for the serene appointment and establishment of the new management.
Confirmed international recognition
Over the past two years, BIRA-IASB has confirmed its international recognition and involvement in numerous research projects, as evidenced by this report. Our research projects cover many areas, such as:
- Earth observation from space,
- analysis of the impact of pollution on air quality and climate,
- exchanges between the biosphere and the atmosphere,
- changes in the composition of the stratosphere and their consequences on climate,
- space physics and meteorology,
- development of space missions and analysis of their observations,
- development of reference laboratories.
BIRA-IASB can be proud of its recognised expertise in the development of observation instruments, particularly space-based ones. BIRA-IASB researchers and engineers are involved in two of the three missions selected by ESA in 2023 to move into Phase A. One of these missions will then be chosen to become ESA's next M-class mission. Development of the VenSpec-H instrument aboard ESA's future EnVision mission is continuing. The BIRA-IASB is also contributing to the Comet Interceptor mission.
But instrument development is not limited to space: our ground-based activities also require specific instrumentation. Examples include the progress made by SEMPAS in observing emissions from ships off our coasts, the various instruments developed for observing auroras, and measurements of volatile organic compounds at various sites in Belgium.
BIRA-IASB has continued to contribute to the European Copernicus program through its participation in numerous Earth observation, satellite data analysis, and atmospheric modeling projects. The BIRA-IASB is thus continuing its mission to collect, produce, and disseminate high-quality data and information on changes in our planet's atmosphere, in line with its commitment to combat fake news with reliable, verifiable, and indisputable facts.
BIRA-IASB plays a key role in the European research infrastructures ICOS and ACTRIS, coordinating the Belgian consortium for the latter, as well as the component dedicated to remote sensing of reactive trace gases.
To ensure consistency with the scientific message conveyed regarding climate change and its causes linked to human activities, BIRA-IASB participated in an initial exercise to determine its ecological footprint. This initiative will be continued and will enable us to analyse the effect of future recommendations on, for example, the number of missions or the use of public transportation
In parallel with its scientific activities, BIRA-IASB continued its dissemination and awareness-raising activities aimed at a variety of audiences by preparing exhibitions, developing educational materials, and welcoming students at different stages of their studies.
