Tribute to Frédéric THIEBAUD

The academic community has lost a valued colleague and friend,full professor at Marie and Louis Pasteur University and researcher at FEMTO-ST in materials science.

Frédéric Thiébaud had a rich career marked by the diversity of his scientific, educational, and administrative commitments. At the Raymond Chaléat Applied Mechanics Laboratory (LMARC), which later became the Applied Mechanics Department of the FEMTO-ST Institute, He began by analyzing the mechanical behavior of high-performance composites, a field he explored during his thesis and then at the beginning of his career as an assistant professor at the University of Franche-Comté, where he taught materials science with passion.

Promoted full professor at the same university (now Marie and Louis Pasteur University), he then developed innovative work on the manufacture of smart materials, particularly piezocomposites, contributing significantly to the scientific influence of the field.

In 2007, he co-founded Mahytec, a company specializing in the design and manufacture of Type IV hydrogen tanks. This entrepreneurial venture allowed him to put his expertise in composites and filament winding into practice. He remained scientific advisor to the company until its sale to a German group in 2021, demonstrating his commitment to promoting research and its transfer to industry.

Frédéric was also very involved in the AMAC (Association for Composite Materials), where he coordinated the Daniel Valentin Prize for many years, and made his mark on the scientific community by organizing, alongside the FEMTO-ST DMA team, the National Composites Days (JNC) in Besançon in 2023.

He had recently been appointed director of an engineering school specializing in medical devices (in November 2025), in recognition of his human and scientific qualities as well as his vision for training and innovation.

Frédéric leaves behind the memory of a passionate, enthusiastic researcher and teacher who was deeply committed to public research and its promotion. His professionalism, energy, and humanity will continue to inspire those who had the good fortune to work alongside him for many years to come.