University of Graz

What University of Graz does

University of Graz (Universität Graz) is a public research university and Austria's second-largest institution of higher education, located at Universitätsplatz 3 in Graz. Founded in 1585 from a Jesuit College established in 1573, it is supervised by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy under the Universities Act (UG 2002) and employs 1,001-5,000 staff including over 3,300 researchers. The university delivers degree programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, conducts fundamental and applied research across climate science, molecular biosciences, social sciences, and the humanities, and operates the University Library Graz — one of the largest educational and cultural institutions in Styria, holding approximately four million media items and around 300,000 special-collection objects.

The institution's core service portfolio encompasses academic teaching and examination (delivered through UNIGRAZonline and Moodle), research output dissemination, knowledge and technology transfer to industry (particularly SMEs) through a dedicated Forschungsmanagement function, in-house conservation and restoration of historical books and manuscripts, continuing-education programs for graduates and professionals, and donor-engagement programs including the Book Sponsorship (Buchpatenschaften) scheme and 'book building blocks' (€50 per unit). Its technology stack centers on standard academic platforms — UNIGRAZonline for student records and research portals, Moodle for learning, and Matomo for self-hosted web analytics — with notable domain-specific capabilities in heritage conservation and climate modeling, including a research station in Greenland and multi-year climate projections announced in 2026.

University of Graz is funded through a hybrid model combining government appropriations (primary), third-party research grants such as ERC Synergy Grants, tuition permitted under Austrian law, professional services from industry collaborations, continuing-education fees, and private donations. It distributes its offerings through direct enrollment for degree programs, dedicated industry-transfer offices, library services, the Youni mobile app, and outreach channels including UNIZEIT magazine and an extensive social-media presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Bluesky, and Snapchat. The university is a core partner in the Styrian research and innovation cluster — Science Space Styria, BioTechMed-Graz, NAWI Graz, the unicorn Start-Up & Innovation Hub, and Science Park Graz — and its operating geographies span Austria, broader Europe, and selected North American collaborations.

Name

University of Graz

Legal name

Universität Graz

Website

https://uni-graz.at

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

University of Graz is Austria's second-largest public research university, offering degree programs, applied research, industry technology transfer, and the University Library's heritage-conservation services across the DACH region and broader Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG), Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Academic research
• Knowledge transfer
• University library services
• Cultural heritage preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: As a public university, University of Graz receives substantial funding through research grants including ERC Synergy Grants (€9M and €10M mentioned for LMU Munich researchers in related projects), national funding programs, and third-party research contracts with industry partners.
2. Fundraising and Donations: University operates active fundraising through 'Großes bewegen' (major donations), crowdfunding campaigns, and book sponsorship programs. Donations are tax-deductible under Austrian law. Book sponsorships start from €350 for individual items, with 'book building blocks' at €50 per unit.
3. Tuition and Student Fees: As a public university under the Austrian Universities Act (UG 2002), the university may charge tuition fees as permitted by law for certain programs and student categories.
4. Knowledge and Technology Transfer Services: Services for companies include expert mediation, R&D project support, feasibility studies, scientific services (measurements, studies, consultations, expert opinions), and access to research results. Services target companies of all sizes, particularly SMEs.
5. Continuing Education: University provides continuing education programs for graduates and professionals as part of its statutory mandate under the Austrian Universities Act.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

University of Graz is a public research university delivering higher education degree programs (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) and conducting fundamental and applied research across multiple disciplines. It additionally provides knowledge and technology transfer services to businesses (R&D projects, feasibility studies, scientific services, patent licensing), continuing education for professionals, and operates the University Library Graz including its Special Collections with in-house restoration services.

Product overview

The University of Graz is Austria's second-largest university offering educational, research, and community services through a digital ecosystem of platforms and physical facilities. The core digital offerings include the institutional website (www.uni-graz.at), the UNIGRAZonline information system, and the Moodle learning platform. The university also operates the University Library Graz (with approximately four million items), the Book Sponsorship Program for restoring historical treasures, and provides technology transfer services through its Research Management division. The most notable recent discovery is the Graz Mummy Book, the world's oldest known book fragment in codex form. The Youni mobile app provides campus connectivity. These services collectively support the university's mission of scientific research, education, and public engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Degree Programs (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD)

Quantifiable outcome

• Climate predictions 1-2 years in advance (1.62°C for 2026, 1.71°C for 2027)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Research Council (ERC)coreOthers · 6 November 2025ERC Synergy Grants awarded to researchers (context: LMU Munich researchers collaborating with international university partners across Europe and the United States). Liedl's DNA4RENOMS project €9M; Beckmann's snoOPERA project €10M.
• unicorn Start-Up & Innovation HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup and innovation hub providing professional support for founding-oriented projects. Gründungsvorhaben (founding projects) are supported by this hub alongside Forschungsmanagement.
• Science Park GrazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports turning startup visions into reality through physical infrastructure and business development services.
• START-UP UNIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram helping students start their own businesses during their education.
• GründungsgarageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup garage program providing university support for students' own businesses.
• Science Fit and WTZ SüdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiatives strengthening knowledge transfer through Science Fit and WTZ Süd programs.
• Science Space StyriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation of nine Styrian universities coordinating on research, education policy, and institutional collaboration. Graz and Styria are characterized by intensive university cooperation.
• BioTechMed-GrazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research for health combining expertise from multiple institutions for medical and biotechnology research.
• NAWI GrazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNatural Sciences training cooperation between Styrian universities providing interdisciplinary science education.
• Entwicklungsverbund Süd-OstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeacher training coordination for the southeast Austrian region.
• Pan-European Seal Young Professionals ProgrammeminorOthersUniversity of Graz is a member of the Pan-European Seal Programme, connecting with the European Patent Office for intellectual property professional development.
• European Patent Office (EPO)minorOthersThrough Pan-European Seal membership, university connects with EPO for patent-related professional opportunities.
• ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation)minorOthersORF Steiermark produced 'Wissenswert' segment featuring University Library Graz book sponsorship project, broadcasting to general public through 'Steiermark heute' news program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Klagenfurt: Smaller Austrian public university with a strong interdisciplinary and cultural-research profile. Comparable in mission type (public Austrian comprehensive university) and competes in similar student-recruitment funnels.
• University of Vienna: Austria's largest public research university and the natural head-to-head comparator for University of Graz. Both are public, multi-disciplinary Austrian universities operating under the same Universities Act with overlapping faculties, joint Styrian/Vienna research networks, and shared competition for ERC funding and top faculty.
• Medical University of Graz: Co-located Austrian public university specializing in medicine and life sciences; co-member of BioTechMed-Graz. A direct peer for health/life-science research collaboration and joint funding applications.
• University of Innsbruck: Austrian public research university of comparable size and comprehensive multi-disciplinary profile, competing with Graz for students, faculty, and national research funding. A natural benchmark for the 'second-tier Austrian comprehensive university' positioning.
• Graz University of Technology (TU Graz): The technical university sharing the city of Graz and a co-member of NAWI Graz and BioTechMed-Graz. While narrower in scope (engineering/natural sciences), it is the most direct local peer for research collaboration, faculty recruitment, and STEM student share.
• WU Vienna (Vienna University of Economics and Business): Austrian public university specializing in business, economics, and social sciences — the natural peer for the social/economic sciences portfolio that University of Graz houses in the RESOWI Centre. Direct competition for faculty and applied economics research.
• Paris Lodron University of Salzburg: Austrian public research university with similar size, multi-disciplinary portfolio, and humanities/social-science emphasis. Direct head-to-head for Austrian students choosing between regional comprehensive universities.
• Johannes Kepler University Linz: Austrian public research university of similar scale, with comparable faculties in social sciences, law, and natural sciences. Competes with Graz for upper-Austrian students and shares overlapping industry-transfer functions.

Regional players

• LMU Munich: Major German-speaking public research university of substantially larger scale. Comparable in comprehensive multi-disciplinary profile and explicitly referenced in the data as a partner on multi-million-euro ERC Synergy Grant projects. Sets the upper bound for what an Austrian university of similar character could aspire to in research funding.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: Top European public research university operating at substantially larger scale across STEM and interdisciplinary research. A benchmark for research output intensity and a competitor for top faculty and ERC funding in overlapping fields (climate, molecular biosciences).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversitaetGraz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-graz
• Instagraminstagram.com/unigraz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/unigraz
• TikToktiktok.com/@unigraz
• Xx.com/UniGraz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Graz