Tool Fund Grantee: André Heughebaert
This grantee profile features André Heughebaert for our series of Frictionless Data Tool Fund posts, written to shine a light on Frictionless Data’s Tool Fund grantees, their work and to let our technical community know how they can get involved.
# Meet André Heughebaert
With 30+ years experience in Software Development (mostly Database, GIS and webapps), I‘ve seen a wide variety of technologies, programming languages and paradigm changes. My current job is an IT Software Engineer at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform (opens new window) and as the Belgian GBIF Node manager. Today, my activities focus on Open Data advocacy and technical support to publication and re-use of Open Data through GBIF Network. This includes intensive use of Darwin Core standards and related Biodiversity tools. Since 2016, I’m the chair of GBIF (opens new window) Participation Nodes Committee. Before that, I’ve been working in Banking systems, early Digital TV and VoD servers and e-Learning platform. Last but certainly not least, I’m the proud father of four children. I live in Brussels and work for the federal public service.
# How did you first hear about Frictionless Data?
Acquainted with CKAN, I discovered Frictionless Data through Twitter and the OKF website. Soon after that, I published my first Data Package (opens new window) on historical movements of troops during the Napoleonic campaign of Belgium in 1815 underlying JunIBIS.be (opens new window), a website launched with a friend for the 200th anniversary of this event.
# What specific issues are you looking to address with the Tool Fund?
The suggested tool will automatically convert Darwin Core Archive into Frictionless Data Packages, offering new perspectives to the GBIF community of data publishers and users. I will especially pay attention to potential incompatibilities between the two standards. Limitations of the Darwin Core Star schema (opens new window) encouraged me to investigate emerging open data standards, and the Frictionless Data Tool Fund grant is an excellent opportunity for me to bridge these two Open Data tools ecosystems.
# How can the open data, open source, community engage with the work you are doing around Frictionless Data, Darwin Core Archive and GBIF?
I do hope the Frictionless and GBIF communities will help me with issuing/tracking and solving incompatibilities, and also to build up new synergies. You can engage with Andre’s Tool Fund at the Frictionless DarwinCore repository (opens new window).