University of Bern

Higher Education and Researchunibe.ch

The University of Bern is a Swiss public research university founded in 1834, serving over 19,000 students across multiple faculties in Bern. It generates revenue from cantonal/federal funding, tuition, and research grants, with notable strengths in space instrumentation, climate science, and medical research.

Company typePrivate
Founded1834
HeadquartersBern, Switzerland
Headcount5,001–10,000
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What University of Bern does

The University of Bern (Universität Bern) is a public research university founded in 1834 in the Swiss capital, operating as a cantonal institution under the Higher Education Promotion and Coordination Act (HFKG). It serves over 19,000 students and doctoral candidates through faculties spanning natural sciences, humanities, medicine, economics, and law, supported by 5,001-10,000 employees and a wholly-owned university hospital subsidiary (Inselspital, Bern University Hospital). Revenue is generated primarily through cantonal and federal base funding, tuition fees, third-party research grants, and continuing education programs (140+ offerings), with international student tuition benchmarks at comparable Swiss institutions now at CHF 2,190 per semester following 2025 increases at ETH Zurich and EPFL.

The institution's research portfolio is anchored by a 50+ year space instrumentation program that has produced the ROSINA mass spectrometer flown on ESA's Rosetta mission, the CHEOPS exoplanet telescope (launched 2019), and instruments for the Comet Interceptor and BepiColombo missions. Complementary strengths include climate science (Beyond EPICA Antarctic ice cores, Copernicus global water reserves contributions), planetary formation modeling (DIPSY via NCCR PlanetS with the University of Geneva), medical research with Inselspital and Charité Berlin, and quantum-resistant distributed systems (Simple-IT protocol). The university holds an AI tool, RegCheck, for quality-checking scientific publications, and participates in ESA-led semi-autonomous Mars robotics research.

The University of Bern is a member of the Swissuniversities association, has 300+ international university partnerships for student exchange, and operates a dedicated Admissions Office (Zulassung, Immatrikulation und Beratung). It received unconditional seven-year institutional accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council on September 24, 2021, with reaccreditation due in 2028. Strategic and operational pressures include a CHF 55 million projected deficit driven by CHF 120 million in annual federal funding cuts to cantonal universities.

University of Bern firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Bern
Legal name: Universität Bern
Website: https://unibe.ch
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1834
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 5,001–10,000 employees
Short description: The University of Bern is a Swiss public research university founded in 1834, serving over 19,000 students across multiple faculties in Bern. It generates revenue from cantonal/federal funding, tuition, and research grants, with notable strengths in space instrumentation, climate science, and medical research.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Bern industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education and Research
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
akta.pro primary industry: Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)
akta.pro secondary industries: Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD), Biomedical Sciences & Medical Research Institutes (University-Based) (EDAHAGAI), Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

Keywords

Higher education
Academic research
Space science
Medical research
Continuing education

Where University of Bern is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Bern
HQ country: Switzerland
HQ region: Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

University of Bern business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Domestic student tuition per semester
Subscription	Annual	Foreign student tuition per semester
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Hot drinks pricing at campus cafeterias

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

University of Bern product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The University of Bern provides higher education degree programs (bachelor's, master's, doctoral) across multiple faculties including natural sciences, humanities, medicine, economics, and law, alongside interdisciplinary research in space science, climate, medicine, and planetary sciences. It offers over 140 continuing education programs for professionals and engages in research collaborations, technology transfer, and space instrument development for ESA missions. The university also operates the RegCheck AI tool for quality-checking scientific publications.

Product overview

The University of Bern is a public research university with a primary focus on education and research rather than commercial product development. Its primary technology product is RegCheck, an AI-powered tool for quality-checking scientific publications. The university also conducts extensive research collaborations and studies across disciplines including climate science, planetary research, medical/health sciences, and technology development, though these research initiatives are not structured as commercial products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

RegCheck An AI tool developed by researchers at the University of Bern that supports researchers in quality-checking scientific publications, aimed at making medical research and recommendations more robust.
Degree Programs (Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral) Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across multiple faculties including natural sciences, humanities, medicine, economics, and law for domestic and international students.
Lifelong Learning and Continuing Education Programs Over 140 continuing education programs (Weiterbildungsprogramm) providing lifelong learners and working professionals with specialized training, professional development, and certifications across disciplines.
CHEOPS Exoplanet Telescope Operations Scientific operations for the CHEOPS space telescope, built at the University of Bern, used to study exoplanets in partnership with the University of Geneva and ESA. Mission extended due to outstanding exoplanet research performance.
Comet Interceptor Mission Instruments (CoCa camera, MANiaC mass spectrometer) Space instruments built for the ESA Comet Interceptor mission, including the CoCa camera and MANiaC mass spectrometer for comet research, continuing the university's 50+ year history of space instrumentation.
Admissions and Registration Services Centralized student admissions services including registration, enrollment, transfer between degree levels (bachelor's to master's, master's to doctoral), leave of absence, and exmatriculation for over 19,000 students.
Career Service Job Platform Online career platform connecting current students and alumni of the University of Bern with employers through job listings and company profiles.

Quantifiable outcome

Over 19,000 students and doctoral candidates supported
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Bern

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

University of Bern technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

University of Bern partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

CombioxincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Combioxin collaborated with University of Bern on a novel drug development project for treating acquired immune deficiency in critically ill patients, funded by a CHF 1.1 million Innosuisse grant.
European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026European Space Agency collaborated with ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, University of Bern, and University of Basel on testing a semi-autonomous quadrupedal robot (ANYmal) equipped with microscopic imager and Raman spectrometer in a Mars simulation facility. The study found that semi-autonomous exploration took 12-23 minutes compared to 41 minutes for traditional human-guided methods.
ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026ETH Zurich collaborated with ESA, University of Zurich, University of Bern, and University of Basel on planetary exploration research using quadrupedal robots for Mars simulation.
University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026University of Zurich collaborated with ESA, ETH Zurich, University of Bern, and University of Basel on planetary exploration research using quadrupedal robots for Mars simulation.
University of BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026University of Basel collaborated with ESA, ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, and University of Bern on planetary exploration research using quadrupedal robots for Mars simulation.
Align TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2026Align Technology partnered with the University of Bern to support Switzerland's first nationwide oral health study. Align provides its iTero Lumina intraoral scanner and diagnostic tools for large-scale, mobile-based dental screenings across all age groups. The study aims to collect comprehensive oral health data to inform future public health approaches while positioning Align's digital dentistry tools within public health research programs.
Align TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Align Technology supports the Swiss Oral Health Study launched in August 2025, aiming to collect oral health data from approximately 1,800 children by June 2026 and 1,650 adults by end of 2027 across six Swiss cantons. The iTero Lumina intraoral scanner has a central role in data collection, with a mobile dental van traveling to schools and communities.
SwissuniversitiesminorOthersSwissuniversities is the association of Swiss universities. The University of Bern is a member institution, participating in collective advocacy, policy coordination, and shared services across the Swiss higher education sector.
ZFV-UnternehmungenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGenossenschaft ZFV-Unternehmungen is the catering partner providing food and beverage services at University of Bern and Pädagogische Hochschule Bern canteens and cafeterias. The partnership includes Fairtrade-certified coffee sourcing and sustainable production practices.
NCCR PlanetScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Centre of Competence in Research PlanetS is jointly operated by University of Bern and University of Geneva. The center focuses on planetary formation, exoplanet research, and planetary sciences. Oliver Schib from University of Bern is an associated researcher in this initiative.
University of GenevacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Geneva co-operates the NCCR PlanetS (National Centre of Competence in Research) with University of Bern for planetary sciences research. Ravit Helled from University of Zurich is also involved in the DIPSY project collaboration.
Inselspital, Bern University HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInselspital Bern University Hospital collaborates with University of Bern on medical research, including ultrasound-activated cilia technology for cleaning implanted medical devices, and radiology research including space medicine applications with Charité Berlin.
Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bern and Inselspital partnered with the Center for Space Medicine at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin to develop medical imaging for extreme conditions, supporting space medicine research.
European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bern provides instruments for ESA missions including CHEOPS (exoplanet telescope), Comet Interceptor (comet research with CoCa camera and MANiaC mass spectrometer), and BepiColombo mission. The university has a 50+ year history of space instrumentation.
Beyond EPICA ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bern's Institute for Climate and Environmental Physics participates in the European Beyond EPICA project drilling ancient ice cores in Antarctica to study Earth's climate history over 1.2 million years, contributing to understanding the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.
Copernicus Climate Change ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bern researchers provide calculations for the European Copernicus climate data service's global water reserves dataset, helping track changes in Earth's water resources worldwide for the first time.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

University of Bern competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Max Planck Society: Germany's flagship non-university research organization; competes with Bern for top researchers and large-scale research grants across space, climate, and life sciences, and is a natural collaborator on ESA and European research consortia.

Regional players

Heidelberg University: Germany's oldest public research university with comparable comprehensive research profile in natural sciences and medicine; comparable scale and research intensity but operates under a different national funding system.
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich): Large German public research university with a similar blend of space, climate, and life-science research; a useful benchmark for international ranking position and research output scale.
University of Freiburg: German public research university with a comparable comprehensive disciplinary mix including strong climate and life-science research; a regional peer for talent and cross-border collaboration in the DACH region.

Direct peers

EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne): Swiss federal research university directly comparable in research intensity, doctoral programs, and engineering/science mix; operates in the same Swiss higher-education funding framework and competes for talent and grants.
ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship public research university and Bern's closest domestic peer; comparable in space science, climate research, and broad doctoral program portfolio, and a co-collaborator on ESA Mars robotics research with Bern.
University of Zurich: Largest Swiss university and direct competitor for students, faculty, and research funding; collaborates with Bern on ESA Mars simulation research and shares the medical research ecosystem via affiliated hospitals.
University of Basel: Swiss public research university with overlapping disciplinary strengths in life sciences and humanities; collaborates with Bern on the ESA Mars quadrupedal robotics project.
University of Geneva: Co-leads the NCCR PlanetS planetary science center with Bern and operates CHEOPS' scientific operations center; comparable comprehensive research university with overlapping space and life-science programs.
University of Lausanne (UNIL): Another comprehensive Swiss public research university; competes for French-speaking talent and research grants, and is a member of the same swissuniversities funding framework.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

University of Bern compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

University of Bern financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Bern leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

University of Bern subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries1 record

University of Bern funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

University of Bern M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Bern

What does University of Bern do?

Is University of Bern a public or private company?

University of Bern is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Bern founded?

University of Bern was founded in 1834. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.

Where is University of Bern based?

University of Bern is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.

Who are University of Bern's main competitors?

Max Planck Society is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Heidelberg University, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich) and University of Freiburg. Direct peers are EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne), ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, University of Basel, University of Geneva and University of Lausanne (UNIL).

Does University of Bern have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Bern.

What industry is University of Bern in?

University of Bern's product category is Higher Education and Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAJ, Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAD, Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.