Our team
DarkSkyLab relies on a multi-disciplinary scientific team (PhDs, engineers, developers), specialized in the study of light pollution and reinforced by the diverse skills of our associated companies: TerrOïko and La TeleScop.
Our expertise ranges from data acquisition (spatial remote sensing, design of metrology instruments) to the study of the impact of light pollution on the environment, via data analysis, development of digital and geomatic tools, and awareness-raising and training.
Sébastien Vauclair
Chairman and Co-founder
Doctor in Astrophysics
Entrepreneurship
R&D studies and project management
Scientific training and popularization
Business development
Webmarketing and e-commerce
An astrophysicist by training and an astronomer by passion, Sébastien has been working on the scientific study of light pollution since 2004. Co-founder of DarkSkyLab in 2014, he has acquired solid expertise in outdoor lighting and the environmental impacts of light.
He is also a lecturer and founding manager of "COSMODiff'- La Clef des Etoiles", a business specializing in the sale and installation of astronomical and optical equipment.
Christophe Plotard
GIS Analyst and Web Project Manager
Master's degree in political science
GIS, spatial analysis, cartography
Editorial communication, popularizing science
Webmarketing
Project management, web product management
After studying at Sciences Po Grenoble, Christophe worked as a journalist for 10 years, then co-founded a start-up where he managed the e-commerce business. Fascinated by geography and data, he branched out to study geomatics at ENSG and joined DarkSkyLab in 2021 as a research officer. He is also product owner of the company's web tools (notably Light Pollution Platform) and contributes to its communication and marketing initiatives.
Catherine de Roincé
General Manager
Doctor in agro-ecology
Philippe Deverchère
Software Engineer
Engineer, École Centrale de Lyon
Programming (Python, C, HTML, R)
Database management
GIS, spatial analysis
Modeling and metrology
Statistical analysis
After a career as an engineer and then as a manager specializing in enterprise data storage (StorageTek, Sun Microsystems and Oracle), Philippe will be branching out into the study of light pollution full-time in 2019. His interest in this field developed alongside an abiding passion for astronomy. His collaboration with DarkSkyLab began in 2016 with the development of the Otus light pollution modeling software, followed by the Ninox sky luminance measurement system.
Sarah Potin
Research Engineer
Master's degree in geomatics project management
GIS, spatial analysis, cartography
Satellite imagery, remote sensing
R&D studies and project management
Territory diagnostics
Training
An agronomy engineer, Sarah has worked for almost 10 years as a project manager on a variety of topics relating to biodiversity, agriculture and photovoltaic energy. Interested in cartography, she resumed her studies in 2020 to obtain a dual qualifi-cation in geomatics. She joined DarkSkyLab in 2022 as a project and research manager. In particular, she is in charge of analyzing high spatial resolution satellite and aerial night-time images.
Bastien NGuyen Duy – Bardakji
Satellite Imagery Engineer
Master in optoelectronics and microwaves
Rolf Bühler
Research Engineer
Doctor in Astrophysics
Programming (Python, C, C++)
Modeling
Statistical analysis
Research management
After obtaining his PhD in 2009, Rolf devoted the first part of his professional life to astrophysics research, first at Stanford University in the USA, then for eleven years in his native Germany at DESY, one of Europe's leading particle physics research centers. In 2024, he moved to the Toulouse region and joined DarkSkyLab, in particular to accelerate the company's R&D work.
Tom Brunelle
Geomatics Engineer
Master in Geomatics
Scientific programming (Python, SQL) and web programming (HTML, CSS, JavaS-cript)
Cartography, spatial analysis, geoprocessing
Remote sensing
Database management
Professional drone pilot
A geomatics engineer specializing in cartography and spatial analysis, Tom has been involved in a number of projects focusing on the enhancement and analysis of satellite imagery data in the environmental and planning fields. In particular, he works on the subject of light pollution through the analysis of aerial and satellite imagery and lighting data.
Elisabeth de Jouvancourt
Administrative and Financial Officer
Executive assistant diploma
Accounting
Administrative management
Public tenders
Sébastien Vauclair
Chairman and Co-founder
Doctor of Astrophysics
Entrepreneurship
R&D studies and project management
Scientific training and popularization
Business development
Webmarketing and e-commerce
An astrophysicist by training and an astronomer by passion, Sébastien has been working on the scientific study of light pollution since 2004. Co-founder of DarkSkyLab in 2014, he has acquired solid expertise in outdoor lighting and the environmental impacts of light.
He is also a lecturer and founding manager of "COSMODiff'- La Clef des Etoiles", a business specializing in the sale and installation of astronomical and optical equipment.
Philippe Deverchère
Software Engineer
Engineer, École Centrale de Lyon
Programming (Python, C, HTML, R)
Database management
GIS, spatial analysis
Modeling and metrology
Statistical analysis
After a career as an engineer and then as a manager specializing in enterprise data storage (StorageTek, Sun Microsystems and Oracle), Philippe will be branching out into the study of light pollution full-time in 2019. His interest in this field developed alongside an abiding passion for astronomy. His collaboration with DarkSkyLab began in 2016 with the development of the Otus light pollution modeling software, followed by the Ninox sky luminance measurement system.
Rolf Bühler
Research Engineer
Doctor of Astrophysics
Programming (Python, C, C++)
Modeling
Statistical analysis
Research management
After obtaining his PhD in 2009, Rolf devoted the first part of his professional life to astrophysics research, first at Stanford University in the USA, then for eleven years in his native Germany at DESY, one of Europe's leading particle physics research centers. In 2024, he moved to the Toulouse region and joined DarkSkyLab, in particular to accelerate the company's R&D work.
Christophe Plotard
GIS Analyst and Web Project Manager
Master's degree in political science
GIS, spatial analysis, cartography
Editorial communication, popularizing science
Webmarketing
Project management, web product management
After studying at Sciences Po Grenoble, Christophe worked as a journalist for 10 years, then co-founded a start-up where he managed the e-commerce business. Fascinated by geography and data, he branched out to study geomatics at ENSG and joined DarkSkyLab in 2021 as a research officer. He is also product owner of the company's web tools (notably Light Pollution Platform) and contributes to its communication and marketing initiatives.
Sarah Potin
Research Engineer
Master's degree in geomatics project management
GIS, spatial analysis, cartography
Satellite imagery, remote sensing
R&D studies and project management
Territory diagnostics
Training
An agronomy engineer, Sarah has worked for almost 10 years as a project manager on a variety of topics relating to biodiversity, agriculture and photovoltaic energy. Interested in cartography, she resumed her studies in 2020 to obtain a dual qualifi-cation in geomatics. She joined DarkSkyLab in 2022 as a project and research manager. In particular, she is in charge of analyzing high spatial resolution satellite and aerial night-time images.
Tom Brunelle
Geomatics Engineer
Master in Geomatics
Scientific programming (Python, SQL) and web programming (HTML, CSS, JavaS-cript)
Cartography, spatial analysis, geoprocessing
Remote sensing
Database management
Professional drone pilot
A geomatics engineer specializing in cartography and spatial analysis, Tom has been involved in a number of projects focusing on the enhancement and analysis of satellite imagery data in the environmental and planning fields. In particular, he works on the subject of light pollution through the analysis of aerial and satellite imagery and lighting data.
Catherine de Roincé
General Manager
Doctor in agro-ecology
Bastien NGuyen Duy – Bardakji
Satellite Imagery Engineer
Master in optoelectronics and microwaves
Elisabeth de Jouvancourt
Administrative and Financial Officer
Executive assistant diploma
Accounting
Administrative management
Public tenders
Do you have a project in mind?
You can use certain functions of our tools on our online software platform,
or entrust your work and analyses to our engineering department.
We'll be there to support you either way.