Benoît Macq
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Benoît Macq | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 6, 1961 Leuven, Belgium |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Alma mater | Université catholique de Louvain |
| Known for | Image compression, watermarking, medical imaging, JPEG-2000 |
| Awards | IEEE Fellow |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical engineering, Image processing |
| Institutions | Université catholique de Louvain |
| Website | pilab.be |
Benoît Macq (born August 6, 1961) is a Belgian electrical engineer, academic, and researcher known for his contributions to digital signal and image processing. He is a professor at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), where he leads the Pixel and Interaction Lab (PiLAB) within the ICTEAM Institute. His research focuses on image compression, watermarking, and artificial intelligence for medical imaging.
Education and Career
Macq received his degree in electrical engineering from UCLouvain in 1984 and completed his Ph.D. in applied sciences at the same institution in 1989, specializing in digital television compression. He subsequently joined the Philips Research Laboratory in Belgium, where he worked on wavelet-based image compression and contributed to the development of the JPEG 2000 standard.[1]
In 1993, he returned to UCLouvain as a professor. He has held visiting positions at institutions such as the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and McGill University.
Research
Macq is noted for his work in image watermarking, compression, and medical imaging. He leads the PiLAB research team, which focuses on signal processing, human-computer interaction, and medical applications.
He has supervised over 60 doctoral theses, contributed to the creation of 11 spin-off companies, and mentored multiple academics now working internationally.[2]
Research Initiatives
In 2014, Benoît Macq co-founded OpenHub - UCLouvain alongside fellow professor Benoît Raucent. OpenHub - UCLouvain[3], based in Louvain-la-Neuve, serves as a creative hub that bridges the gap between academic research and industry, providing a collaborative environment for startups, established companies, and researchers to develop and prototype innovative ideas. The platform offers state-of-the-art facilities, including a Fab Lab Pro for rapid prototyping, enabling project leaders to test and refine their concepts effectively. [4]
Since its inception, Macq has played a pivotal role in steering OpenHub's strategic direction, fostering partnerships, and ensuring the hub thrives in its mission to support innovation through research and development. Under his leadership, OpenHub has become a central player in the regional innovation ecosystem, connecting academia and industry, and supporting groundbreaking research and entrepreneurship.
Macq has also been a key figure in the creation of TRAIL (Trusted AI Labs) in 2021, a collaborative research initiative uniting the French-speaking universities of Belgium around the development of trustworthy artificial intelligence. The platform brings together researchers from UCLouvain, Université de Namur, Université libre de Bruxelles, and Université de Mons, as well as several industrial and public partners.
TRAIL focuses on interdisciplinary AI research with applications in health, mobility, environment, and digital sovereignty. As one of the academic leaders behind the initiative, Macq contributed to shaping its strategic vision and positioning it as a flagship AI program in Wallonia and .[5]
In 2023, Macq was also among the founding contributors of MedReSyst (Medical Research Systemic), a collaborative platform focused on the systemic transformation of medical research. The initiative brings together researchers, clinicians, technologists, and policymakers to co-develop interdisciplinary frameworks that enhance data-driven and patient-centered innovation in healthcare. MedReSyst aims to bridge gaps between clinical practice, medical data science, and ethical innovation strategies.[6]
Editorial and Professional Roles
As of January 2024, Macq is the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, a leading journal in the field.[7]
He is also a member of the Royal Academy of Science of Belgium, where he serves as Deputy Director of the Technology and Society Class.[1]
University Leadership
From 2009 to 2014, Macq served as Vice-Rector of UCLouvain, where he led initiatives in societal outreach and internationalization.[2]
Selected Publications
- Ferrant, M., Nabavi, A., Macq, B., et al. (2001). "Registration of 3-D intraoperative MR images of the brain using a finite-element biomechanical model." IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 20(12), 1384–1397.
- Bas, P., Chassery, J. M., & Macq, B. (2002). "Geometrically invariant watermarking using feature points." IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, 11(9), 1014–1028.
- Martin, O., Kotsia, I., Macq, B., & Pitas, I. (2006). "The eNTERFACE'05 audio-visual emotion database." 22nd International Conference on Data Engineering Workshops, 8–8.
Honors and Recognition
- Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
- Member of the Royal Academy of Science of Belgium
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "OpenTPS Team - Benoît Macq". Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Benoît Macq – About Me". Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ "OpenHub – The Creative Hub of Louvain-la-Neuve". openhub.be. OpenHub. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ "OpenHub – Creative Hubs Network". Creative Hubs Network. British Council. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ "About TRAIL – Trusted AI Labs". trail.ac. TRAIL Consortium. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ "MedReSyst – Medical Research Systemic". medresyst.org. MedReSyst Initiative. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
- ↑ "New Society Editors-in-Chief". Retrieved 2025-04-10.
External links
This article "Benoît Macq" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles taken from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be accessed on Wikipedia's Draft Namespace.