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Francois Baneyx headshot

François Baneyx

Vice Provost for Innovation and Director of CoMotion

Other titles

  • Charles W.H. Matthaei Professor of Chemical Engineering
  • Director of the Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales, University of Washington

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Background

François Baneyx has served as the University of Washington Vice Provost for Innovation and Director of CoMotion since 2019. The Charles W.H. Matthaei Professor of Chemical Engineering and an adjunct professor of Bioengineering, Dr. Baneyx is an internationally recognized authority on protein production technologies and the biological fabrication of advanced materials with applications in medicine, sensing, opto-electronics, and catalysis. For his contributions to these fields, he was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2013), the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (2015), the American Academy of Microbiology (2015), and the Washington State Academy of Sciences (2016).

As Vice Provost for Innovation, Dr. Baneyx drives and coordinates innovation activities, builds connections with the economic development community, and engages with industry, government, nonprofits, and the regional and global innovation ecosystems to shape the university’s innovation strategies. He directs CoMotion, overseeing intellectual property protection and licensing, training of a diverse entrepreneurial workforce, and funding and mentorship programs that support the creation, incubation, and launch of startups.

Dr. Baneyx also directs the Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales, a multi-institution Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. He previously served in various leadership positions, including site director of the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network (2004-2012), director of the Center for Nanotechnology (2005-2013), and most recently, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering (2014-2019). He is the co-founder of Proteios, a University of Washington spinoff dedicated to reducing the cost and complexity of protein and therapeutic cell purification.

Dr. Baneyx earned a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He was a postdoctoral researcher at DuPont before joining the University of Washington faculty in 1992.

Commitments

Commitments interactive - uwc-accordion-1

The Innovation Roundtable aims to enhance the effectiveness of UW technology transfer, strengthen an already thriving innovation ecosystem, promote startup creation and growth, and support the establishment and sustainability of public-private partnerships that amplify the economic and societal impact of UW discoveries. Members of the Innovation Roundtable include prominent venture capitalists, angel investors, philanthropists, and innovation leaders. They serve as ambassadors, connectors, and advocates who help advance UW’s innovation initiatives.

Dr. Baneyx stays ahead of the curve by seeking quality advice, connecting with experts and policymakers, and gathering input from a diverse range of stakeholders. He leads initiatives to position UW researchers and entrepreneurs for success as new projects are launched by nonprofits, industry, and state and federal agencies. He collaborates with the UW External Affairs team and partners across Washington state and beyond to shape policy and support initiatives that promote economic prosperity. Dr. Baneyx hosts delegations from across the U.S. and around the world, fostering relationships and learning from various approaches to creating a resilient innovation economy.

Dr. Baneyx is committed to helping all UW researchers make an impact through the commercialization of their discoveries. With firsthand experience of how the U.S. education, research, and entrepreneurial sectors can create remarkable opportunities, he actively seeks ways to offer similar opportunities to anyone aspiring to become an entrepreneur. Since many of the most creative innovations arise when teams combine diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and when pathways to entrepreneurial success are open to everyone, it is essential for our region and nation to foster innovation driven by diverse talent.

 

Messages from the Vice Provost

October, 2024

Tapping the hearts and minds of faculty entrepreneurs

One stick figure helps another one up a hill toward a flag.

Coaching RGB color icon. Cooperation between coach and client. Training and guidance. Partnership. Learner support. Achieving personal, professional goal together. Isolated vector illustration

CoMotion’s new Entrepreneurial Faculty Forum is a group of eight faculty members who have successfully commercialized technologies. They will mentor UW faculty seeking to translate discoveries and maximize impact.

May, 2024

Imagine new heights during UW Innovation Month

UW Innovation Month Logo featuring a purple rendering of Mt. Rainier against a pink background, with the words "May 2024, Innovation Month, Imagine New Heights"

UW’s first-ever Innovation Month is a campus-wide celebration highlighting the innovative work that happens everywhere at UW, every day, from STEM to the humanities anad beyond.

March, 2024

Curiosity, resilience, and the greater good

Logo for NSF's Advancing Research Translation program

CoMotion celebrates UW innovations disclosure milestone and announces mentoring relationship with Montana State University through NSF’s Accelerating Research Translation program.

September, 2023

Happy birthday, Startup Hall!

Technology Incubator at Startup Hall

Startup Hall, home of CoMotion Labs and its technology incubator, celebrates nine years as a bridge between academia and industry and fertile ground for game-changing ideas.

July, 2023

At the ready for innovations to come

CHIPS Act logo

Beyond marking a milestone in the widespread adoption of generative AI, 2022 will go down in the history of U.S. innovation for a massive commitment of federal funds toward technological competitiveness and national resilience. Recognizing the need for a departure from traditional approaches to usher in transformative advances in healthcare, the Biden administration instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to create ARPA-H.

December, 2022

Leading the blue economy into a sustainable future

Liquid hydrogen renewable energy vessel

For centuries, humankind has made a living from the oceans and seas that cover 72% of our planet and house 95% of living organisms. We have relied on these waters for food, trade, travel, recreation, and, more ominously, for war and conquest. We have also taken for granted their role in food production, carbon sequestration, temperature regulation, and oxygen generation, instead polluting and overexploiting them. Now, we are facing the real sea change, and the challenge of mitigating the harm that we have brought on the waters of the world.

June, 2022

Meeting the transportation challenge

Meeting the Transportation Challenge - aerial view of Seattle

On June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, a massive investment in mobility that drove commerce, tourism, and prosperity across the entire continental United States. The interstate system also contributed to the decline of unconnected cities, divided once vibrant neighborhoods, and often unfairly displaced people of color. Today, our roadways are decaying, cars and trucks produce 22.4% of the greenhouse emissions that contribute to climate change, and traffic pollution has been correlated to childhood asthma and cardiovascular diseases.

March, 2022

The growth of innovation - Disclosure Heat Map and Startup Handbook

UW innovators in a lab

There has been a lot of talk of late about how some companies are embracing remote work while others are gobbling up real estate, doubling down on an in-person post-pandemic future.  Most academic researchers do not have a choice. Aside from responsibilities such as planning, coding, data analysis, and writing, which can all be done remotely, continued progress means gathering in physical labs where knowledge is shared and experiments can be performed safely and effectively.

December, 2021

A foot in both worlds

Francois Baneyx headshot

I came to the U.S. from France in 1986 to begin my Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas at Austin. That same year, IBM introduced the first laptop computer, the FDA approved the first monoclonal antibody treatment, and the Soviet Union launched the first module of the Mir space station.

June, 2021

Investing in the endless frontier for the 21st century

UW healthcare workers

While the pandemic quieted the buzz of tens of thousands of students on our campuses, the UW research engine continued to roar. Our talented faculty won over $1.23 billion in federal awards during the previous fiscal year – more than any other public university in the nation. These awards are being used to explore uncharted territory, create new knowledge, and translate discoveries into innovations that feed our economy and make a difference in the state of Washington and beyond.

March, 2021

Celebrating UW women innovators

Celebrating UW women innovators for Women's History Month

In 1854, Arthur Denny, a representative of the Washington Territorial Legislature, proposed that a pending voting bill be amended to allow “all white females over the age of 18 years” to vote. A single nay defeated his proposal, and it took 56 years for the State Constitution to be amended to grant all women the right to vote. It would take another decade for every woman in the United States to be granted this right.

October, 2020

The six month mark

University of Washington "W" sculpture

As I look outside at the turning leaves, it is hard to come to the realization that we have now been working from home for more than six months and that a very different autumn quarter has started on a sparsely populated UW campus. The pandemic has imposed profound changes upon all of us. Like most crises, it has accelerated some trends and culled others.

June, 2020

Innovation at UW continues to push forward

UW researcher in a lab

When I last took proverbial pen to paper, the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold in the U.S. Many of us were adapting to a new telework reality, and we were learning to jump from one Zoom meeting to another. In the background, a renewed focus on racial injustice and inequities was gaining momentum. I was keen to understand what effect these events would have on innovation. Would we see a decline in requests for our services? Would researchers’ interest in CoMotion’s innovation programs dwindle?

March, 2020

UW innovation accelerates in face of adversity

UW innovation accelerates in face of adversity

The expression “we live through unprecedented times” felt somewhat corny a few weeks ago. It now seems eerily adept at capturing the disruption we are all experiencing. As of this writing, 9 in 10 Americans are staying at home to help rein in the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff is no exception. Like you, we have risen to the challenge, harnessing technology to telework and to remain productive while also juggling roles as teachers, coaches, counselors, and caregivers, when needed.

UW Innovation Journeys interviews

Watch François interview founders of successful UW startups that have launched with the help of CoMotion.

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