22 Nov '04 -RIS-architect Robčrt Scherpbier overleden
ROTTERDAM 20/11 - Robčrt Scherpbier van LogicaCMG is zaterdagochtend na
een slopende ziekte overleden. Hij werd 47 jaar. Robčrt
was een zeer gewaardeerd collega voor veel mensen bij BICS, INDRIS en
COMPRIS. Hij was vanaf het eerste uur intensief bij de telematicaprojecten voor
de binnenvaart betrokken en heeft veel betekend voor de Europese ontwikkeling van River Information Services (RIS).
'De dingen die ik uitdacht zette hij om in architectuur', vat
BICS-projectleider Jos van Splunder van Rijkswaterstaat Zeeland de
jarenlange samenwerking die hij met Robčrt Scherpbier had samen. In
een bericht aan de leden van het internationaal COMPRIS consortium en
daarmee verbonden werkgroepen memoreren Van Splunder en
COMPRIS-projectleider Cas Willems de overledene als 'key-player,
architect,
analyst, a real friend and an enthusiastic colleague'. Robčrt
Scherpbier laat vrouw en twee kleine kinderen achter; hij wordt
donderdag in Katwijk begraven.
Dear members of the COMPRIS consortium and the working
groups on Electronic Reporting International (ERI) and Paperless
Sailing,
As you all know, Robčrt Scherpbier became serious ill this summer, but
he fought to overcome this awful illness. He continued working together
with Jos and Rolf Hommes on COMPRIS issues till a few weeks ago. He
attended our RIS week in Paris only 1 month ago, there he was still
very hopeful and told about the planned activities for him and his
family. But finally the cancer spread over his entire body. After a
short period it became clear that his cancer was very aggressive and
made it impossible for him to fight further against it. Dear colleagues
I have to inform you on a very sad occasion. In the weekend Robčrt
passed away.
Robčrt was active in the RIS world and working groups almost since the
beginning. He started his career on this subject in the Netherlands
with the development and implementation of a Harbour Information System
for Vlissingen (ZHIS). Followed with the implementation of the
Electronic Reporting concept (BICS) for the main waterways in the
Netherlands. His speciality was to convert the philosophies and
ideas of the RIS world into technical reality. As such he developed
technical concepts, standards and applications.
Robčrt played the role of system integrator in INDRIS and after a
period with severe problems during the development of the INDRIS RHINE
demonstrator, without his input and enthusiasm the demonstrator of the
INDRIS project could not have been such a success.
In COMPRIS he participated in many topics of the project. He was a
member of the Kernel team of WP2 (Architecture), he was assisting
Annick in WP5 and he was the link together with Jos between ERI and
WP6. As a member of the System Integrator Team (SIT) he defined in a
brilliant way together with Rolf Hommes the concept of the Operational
Test Platform and as such he opened the door for a successful COMPRIS.
Furthermore Robčrt was one of the architects of setting up a platform
that was able to discuss on a European level between the waterway
authorities on a operational level later called the Electronic
Reporting Working Group. Together with Alexander de Lijster and
Cristian Krajewski he was responsible for setting up the standards for
electronic ship reporting in Europe.
It is clear for all of us that COMPRIS and the Electronic Reporting
International Working Group is loosing a key-player, architect,
analyst, a real friend and an enthusiastic colleague.
Dear partners, we hope that his wife and very young children have
enough strength to overcome the coming period and we all want to
express our sympathy to his wife and family.
The date of the memorial service and funeral is on Thursday November 25th 2004 in Katwijk aan Zee.
For more details I refer to the mourning letter that is included.
On behalf of the COMPRIS team,
Cas Willems
On behalf of the Electronic Reporting International Working Group and the working group Paperless Sailing,
Jos van Splunder
