Having completed his studies at Ghent University (Master’s Degree in Economics) and at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (postgraduate in Econometrics), Bart Hertveldt started his professional career as a researcher at Ghent University (Department of Financial Economics). After four years, he joined the Federal Planning Bureau (FPB) in April 1993. During his first eleven years at the FPB, he worked in the business cycle analysis and short-term forecasting field. Here, he was involved from its outset in MODTRIM, the quarterly model used for preparing the economic budget. Since mid-2004, Bart has been advisor to the FPB’s Sectoral Directorate and coordinator of the team charged with drawing up the input-output tables and the environmental accounts.