Zurich University of Applied Sciences/ZHAW

What Zurich University of Applied Sciences/ZHAW does

ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences / Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) is a public Swiss Fachhochschule founded in 2007 and headquartered in Winterthur, with additional campuses in Zürich and Wädenswil. The institution operates eight schools — Applied Linguistics, Applied Psychology, Architecture/Design/Civil Engineering, Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Facility Management, Engineering, Management and Law, and Social Work — delivering bachelor's, master's, and continuing education programs alongside applied research. ZHAW serves undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals enrolled in CAS/DAS/MAS continuing education programs, and industry/government partners engaging in contract research and consulting.

ZHAW's core technology and digital infrastructure include the DSpace-based ZHAW Digital Collection for open-access scholarly output, the Moodle-based ZHAW Moodle LMS for online course delivery, the myZHAW student portal, and the ZHAW Servicedesk IT service management portal. The university maintains cross-cutting initiatives such as ClimateChange@ZHAW (an interdisciplinary climate research coordination hub), the Sustainable Impact Program (with Instant Impact, Living Lab, Student Project, and SDG Thesis Award funds), and the Digital Futures Fund supporting internal digital transformation. AI/ML capabilities are research-oriented, with documented applications in NLP for climate policy text analysis and AI for emissions trading fraud detection.

ZHAW's business model rests on four revenue streams: public higher education funding from the Canton of Zurich and Swiss federal government, tuition fees from degree-seeking students, continuing education program fees (CAS/DAS/MAS), and third-party research contracts and grants. The institution is not VC-backed or privately held; it operates as a public-law entity under Swiss higher education law, with the ZHAW Foundation (Stiftung ZHAW) providing supplementary donor-funded support. International reach is enabled through the EELISA European University alliance, bilateral exchange agreements, and partnerships with sustainability networks including Climate-KIC, ISCN, and UN PRME.

Name

Zurich University of Applied Sciences/ZHAW

Legal name

ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Website

https://zhaw.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ZHAW is a public Swiss university of applied sciences operating eight schools across three campuses in Winterthur, Zürich, and Wädenswil, delivering bachelor, master, and continuing education programs alongside applied research for students, professionals, and industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB), Human Resources & Talent (SHRM/HRCI Recertification) (EDAAALAN)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied research
• Continuing education
• University degree programs
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: Government-funded university receiving public subsidies from Canton of Zurich and Swiss federal government for degree programs and research activities.
2. Tuition Fees: Tuition fees from Bachelor and Master students for enrolled degree programs.
3. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies), DAS, MAS programs and professional development courses in various disciplines.
4. Research Contracts and Grants: Third-party research funding from government agencies, industry partners, and international organizations for applied research projects.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ZHAW is a public Swiss university of applied sciences delivering practice-oriented Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, continuing education (CAS, DAS, MAS), and applied research services across eight specialized schools covering applied linguistics, psychology, architecture, health sciences, life sciences, engineering, management and law, and social work. It also provides contract research, consulting, and knowledge transfer partnerships with industry and public-sector organizations.

Product overview

ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) operates as a multi-disciplinary university with eight specialized schools offering bachelor's, master's, and continuing education programs. The institution provides digital platforms including the ZHAW Digital Collection repository for academic publications, ClimateChange@ZHAW for climate research coordination, and internal portals like myZHAW and Moodle for student learning. ZHAW's technology offerings include sustainability initiatives (Sustainable Impact Program, Digital Futures Fund), research centers (Center for Energy and Environment, Digital Health Lab, Datalab), and IT service tools (Servicedesk). The academic portfolio spans Applied Linguistics, Psychology, Architecture, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Engineering, Management/Law, and Social Work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Practice-oriented undergraduate degree programs (Bachelor) in applied linguistics, psychology, architecture/design/civil engineering, health sciences, life sciences and facility management, engineering, management and law, and social work, designed for prospective students in Switzerland.
• Master's Degree Programs Graduate degree programs (Master) with research components and professional specialization, offered across ZHAW's eight schools for students seeking advanced qualifications.
• Continuing Education Programs (CAS/DAS/MAS) Fee-based Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), and Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) programs covering topics such as climate strategies, banking/finance/insurance, digital transformation, health care management, leadership, and management, targeted at working professionals seeking career advancement or specialization.
• Research and Consulting Services Contract research, applied research collaborations, and consulting services delivered to companies, public institutions, and government bodies seeking expert knowledge, innovation, and applied research solutions.
• ClimateChange@ZHAW Interdisciplinary initiative coordinating climate change research across ZHAW departments, acting as a central hub for climate protection and adaptation projects with expert networks and interactive visualization tools.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• SwissuniversitiescoreOthersZHAW is a member of Swissuniversities, the association of Swiss higher education institutions that coordinates joint activities and represents Swiss universities at the national and international level.
• Swiss Accreditation CouncilcoreOthersZHAW maintains accreditation through the Swiss Accreditation Council (Schweizerischer Akkreditierungsrat), the official body responsible for quality assurance in Swiss higher education.
• EELISA European UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW participates in EELISA (European Engineering Learning Innovation and Science Alliance), a European University initiative bringing together institutions to create an inter-university campus for mobility, learning, and research collaboration across Europe.
• Climate-KICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW supports Climate-KIC, the European Knowledge and Innovation Community working to accelerate the transition to a climate-smart, zero-carbon economy through innovation and entrepreneurship.
• International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW is a member of ISCN, an international forum for exchange of information, ideas, and best practices for sustainable campus operations and integration of sustainability into research and teaching.
• UN PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW School of Management and Law has signed the UN PRME principles, committing to responsible management education and integrating sustainability into business education curricula.
• Zurich Knowledge Center for Sustainable Development (ZKSD)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZKSD was founded jointly by the four cantonal Zurich higher education institutions as a hub for sustainability projects, promoting pathways from knowledge to engaged action and facilitating exchange among researchers, faculty, and students of the four institutions.
• Swiss Green Economy Symposium (SGES)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerZHAW serves as the scientific partner for the Swiss Green Economy Symposium, one of Switzerland's largest annual business meetings on sustainability, held each September in Winterthur with over 1,000 participants from business, politics, and science.
• Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW sustainable partnered with SCNAT to conduct the Sustainability Science Dialogue, promoting networking among sustainability researchers at ZHAW.
• Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sustainability Science Dialogue to promote networking among sustainability researchers at ZHAW.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH): Another major Swiss University of Applied Sciences with multiple departments, applied research, and Bachelor/Master/continuing-education programs, directly comparable in mandate, structure, and funding model to ZHAW.
• FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz): Multi-campus Swiss University of Applied Sciences offering degree programs and applied research across engineering, business, social work, life sciences, and design — highly comparable to ZHAW's mandate and operating model.
• Hochschule Luzern (HSLU): Swiss University of Applied Sciences with a comparable mix of schools, applied research, and continuing education, serving the same Swiss market and competing for similar student and partner pools as ZHAW.
• OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule: Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences formed by merging FHS St.Gallen and HSR Rapperswil, offering applied-degree and continuing-education programs in engineering, business, social work, and health — directly comparable to ZHAW.
• SUPSI (Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana): Italian-speaking Swiss University of Applied Sciences delivering practice-oriented degrees and applied research; operates under the same Swiss Fachhochschule legal framework as ZHAW and is closely comparable in scope.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Swiss private University of Applied Sciences offering Bachelor, Master, and continuing-education programs with a strong applied-research and professional-market focus, directly comparable to ZHAW in market positioning.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: Switzerland's leading federal research university; overlaps with ZHAW in applied research domains (engineering, management) and competes for top students, faculty, and research funding, but at a much larger scale and with a different academic mandate.
• EPFL: Swiss federal institute of technology focused on engineering and natural sciences; overlaps with ZHAW's School of Engineering and applied-research activities, but operates at significantly larger scale and prestige.
• University of Zurich: Largest Swiss university with research strength overlapping ZHAW's psychology, linguistics, and management disciplines; competes for students and faculty in the Zurich market though with a more academic (non-applied) mandate.

Emerging players

• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS): Swiss distance-learning University of Applied Sciences offering primarily online Bachelor and Master programs; competes with ZHAW's continuing-education and digital-learning offerings in the same Swiss market with a differentiated delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/zhawch
• Facebookfacebook.com/zhaw.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/876843
• Instagraminstagram.com/zhaw
• Xx.com/zhaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Zurich University of Applied Sciences/ZHAW