Francis Turkelboom is a senior researcher at the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (INBO, Brussels). INBO conducts research and supplies knowledge to all who prepare policy or are involved in planning and management. Francis is a member of the research team Nature & Society, an interdisciplinary research team that focuses on nature and society interactions.

His research aims to strengthen participatory and sustainable multifunctional spatial planning. For this purpose, he often uses the concepts of ecosystem services (ES) and socio-ecological systems. He tests and improves methods for stakeholder analysis, social valuation, trade-off and synergy analysis, and decision support, which are always adapted for participatory and deliberative processes. His research is based on local case studies in rural areas and river valleys. The aim of the case study research is to develop generic lessons and approaches that can be used by planners, administrations and policy makers. The most important partners for this research are government agencies (VLM, ANB, VMM, provincial authorities, municipalities), boundary organizations (e.g. Regionale landschappen) and civil society organizations (e.g. Natuurpunt). Before INBO he conducted research abroad (Thailand, Bhutan, Syria) on the sustainable management of natural resources in mountainous and drylands. He holds a PhD in applied biological sciences from the K.U.Leuven (Belgium).