Ronald Van der Linden, Starting his career as a (theoretical) solar physicist in 1987 (using both numerical HPC and analytical techniques), Ronald became interested in the 'applied' side of solar physics (i.e. space weather) when he moved to the Royal Observatory of Belgium in 2000. Together with his colleagues, Ronald started building then what currently is the SIDC/RWC Belgium of ISES, a centre providing 7/7, 24/24 monitoring and forecasting of space weather. While he became general director of the Royal Observatory of Belgium in 2005, he created, together with the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy and the Royal Meteorological Institute, the collaborative framework called Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE) in 2006. The STCE, of which Ronald is the coordinator, has since then supported many space weather activities starting up and growing in Europe.