FHNW

What FHNW does

FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz / University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland) is a public Swiss university of applied sciences and arts founded in 2006 through the merger of four cantonal institutions, funded by the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Landschaft, Basel-Stadt, and Solothurn. It operates 10 specialized schools spanning applied psychology, architecture/building/geomatics, design and art, computer science, life sciences, music, teacher education, social work, engineering/environment, and business, delivering Bachelor's, Master's, and continuing education programs (CAS/DAS/MAS) across 6 campuses in Northwestern Switzerland serving approximately 30,000 students, faculty, and staff. Its core technology infrastructure includes a new high-performance computing (HPC) lab at Brugg-Windisch featuring an Nvidia H200 GPU cluster with 400 Gbps networking and a CPU cluster operated jointly with the University of Bern's Astronomical Institute, alongside a modernized hybrid cloud storage solution implemented with Hitachi Vantara and Sonio AG protecting over 1,100 virtual machines, 350 TB of data, and 150 TB of M365 cloud data.

FHNW's revenue model is anchored in cantonal government subsidies for degree programs, supplemented by fee-based continuing education (e.g., CHF 8,900 for CAS Resilienz), commissioned research projects, and industry partnerships. It generates additional revenue through applied research collaborations such as the multi-year partnership with Yeastup AG that produced a patented process for converting spent brewer's yeast into functional vegan ingredients, and through government-commissioned studies including a Swiss innovation slow-down study for SERI conducted jointly with KOF Institute, EPFL, and the University of St. Gallen. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via campus-based enrollment, an online 'Mein Studium' student portal, and info events across six locations. The institution is currently operating with a CHF 5 million structural deficit and has implemented workforce reductions of 40 full-time teaching positions while continuing major capital investments including the September 2026 opening of Campus Dreispitz in Basel and the launch of the Exploration Week interdisciplinary pilot program for its 20th anniversary.

Name

FHNW

Legal name

Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz

Website

https://fhnw.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

FHNW is a public Swiss university of applied sciences and arts operating 10 specialized schools across 6 campuses in Northwestern Switzerland, serving approximately 30,000 students, faculty, and staff through degree programs, continuing education, and applied research partnerships with industry and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Applied Sciences and Arts)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied sciences
• Continuing education
• Applied research
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Solothurn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: FHNW is a public university funded by cantonal government subsidies. The university currently operates with a structural deficit of CHF 5 million and has responded by cutting 40 full-time teaching positions.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: FHNW generates revenue through commissioned research projects, collaboration with industry partners (e.g., Yeastup AG), and government-funded innovation initiatives
3. Research Partnership - Yeastup AG: Partnership with Yeastup AG involving years of research to develop patented process for processing spent brewer's yeast into functional vegan ingredients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FHNW is a public Swiss university of applied sciences that delivers practice-oriented higher education through 10 specialized schools offering Bachelor's, Master's, and continuing-education programs (CAS/DAS/MAS), complemented by applied research and consulting services for industry and government partners. It operates six campuses across Northwestern Switzerland and combines teaching with commissioned research projects, including industry technology transfer and policy studies.

Product overview

FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz / University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland) is a multi-school university institution comprising 10 schools offering practice-oriented education and applied research. The institution operates as a unified platform delivering degree programs (Bachelor, Master, continuing education including CAS/DAS/MAS), applied research services, and collaboration opportunities. Key schools include Angewandte Psychologie (Applied Psychology), Architektur/Bau/Geomatik, Gestaltung/Kunst, Informatik, Life Sciences, Musik, Pädagogische Hochschule, Soziale Arbeit, Technik/Umwelt, and Wirtschaft (Business). The institution's offerings are organized into academic study programs, continuing education certificates, research collaboration services, and specialized facilities including the Exploration Week interdisciplinary program and various institutes focused on specific research domains.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie FHNW School offering Bachelor's and Master's programs in applied psychology (work, organizational, and business psychology), with research institutes covering Innovation/Transformation/Sustainability, Mental/Organizational Health, and Humans in Complex Systems. Continuing-education programs (CAS, DAS, MAS) are delivered through the Center for Continuing Education.
• Hochschule für Wirtschaft FHNW FHNW's business school offering Bachelor's and Master's programs in economics and business administration, with institutes covering Financial Management, Nonprofit/Public Management, Human Resources/Organization, Corporate Management, Business Informatics, and Competitiveness/Communication. Holds AACSB accreditation.
• Hochschule für Informatik FHNW Computer science school offering Bachelor's and Master's programs in informatics and data science, with research focus areas in digitalization and digital transformation.
• Hochschule für Life Sciences FHNW School specializing in life sciences, offering applied research and education in biological and health-related sciences.
• Hochschule für Architektur, Bau und Geomatik FHNW School offering architecture, civil engineering, digital construction, and geomatics programs, with institutes focused on Architecture, Civil Engineering, Digital Building, Geomatics, and Sustainability/Energy in Construction.
• Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst FHNW (HGK Basel) School of design and art offering programs in visual arts, design, and creative disciplines, located at Campus Dreispitz in Basel.
• Hochschule für Musik FHNW Music conservatory offering programs in music performance, composition, and music education.
• Pädagogische Hochschule FHNW Teacher education college offering programs for primary and secondary school educators, located in Solothurn.
• Hochschule für Soziale Arbeit FHNW School of social work offering Bachelor's and Master's programs, with institutes covering Counseling/Coaching/Social Management, Integration/Participation, Child/Youth Welfare, Professions Research/Development, and Social Work/Health.
• Hochschule für Technik und Umwelt FHNW School of engineering and environmental sciences offering programs in sustainable buildings/cities, energy/environmental technology, and robotics/nursing robotics research.
• Bachelor's Degree Programs Subsidized Bachelor's degree programs (BA/BSc) offered across FHNW's 10 schools, providing practice-oriented undergraduate education for prospective students.
• Master's Degree Programs Subsidized Master's degree programs (MA/MSc) offered across FHNW's 10 schools, providing advanced practice-oriented graduate education.
• Continuing Education (CAS/DAS/MAS) Fee-based continuing-education certificates (CAS, DAS, MAS, MBA, courses, seminars, conferences) offered to working professionals across 16 thematic areas, including applied psychology, leadership, health, business, and education.
• Applied Research and Industry Collaboration Services Commissioned applied-research projects, technology-transfer services, and student project collaborations with industry and government partners, including patent licensing and the patented spent brewer's yeast processing process.
• Exploration Week FHNW Interdisciplinary project week connecting ~500 students and staff across all 10 FHNW schools in collaborative future-oriented modules aligned with strategic focus areas Future Health, New Work, and Zero Emission.
• AI & High Performance Computing Course (HPC Lab) High-performance computing course and research facility at Brugg-Windisch campus featuring a CPU cluster (partnered with University of Bern's Astronomical Institute), a GPU cluster with Nvidia H200 processors connected via a 400 Gbps network, and specialized software environments for machine learning and simulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 4x faster backups with hybrid cloud storage implementation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Bern's Astronomical InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Partnership for operating the CPU cluster component of FHNW's new high-performance computing lab at its Brugg-Windisch campus. The HPC system features a CPU cluster and a GPU cluster with Nvidia H200 processors connected via a 400 Gbps network.
• Hitachi VantaracoreTechnology or Integration · 25 March 2026Partnership with Hitachi Vantara and Swiss IT service provider Sonio AG to modernize FHNW's IT infrastructure with a hybrid cloud storage solution combining block and object storage. Implementation delivers up to 4x faster backups, ransomware-resistant recovery reduced from days to minutes, and 40% reduction in cost and energy consumption while protecting over 1,100 virtual machines, 350 TB of data, and 150 TB of M365 cloud data.
• Sonio AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 March 2026Swiss IT service provider partnering with Hitachi Vantara in FHNW's hybrid cloud storage implementation project.
• KOF Institute (ETH Zurich)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026FHNW collaborated with KOF Institute, EPFL, and University of St. Gallen on a study commissioned by SERI examining innovation slow-down in Switzerland. The study covered six innovation-intensive sectors and proposed nine policy measures.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Collaborated with FHNW, KOF Institute, and University of St. Gallen on Swiss innovation slow-down study commissioned by SERI.
• University of St. GallencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Collaborated with FHNW, KOF Institute, and EPFL on Swiss innovation slow-down study commissioned by SERI.
• Yeastup AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2025Multi-award-winning Swiss start-up partnered with FHNW for years of research to develop patented process for processing spent brewer's yeast. The CHF 10 million investment in venture capital funded industrial-scale production facility in Lyss, Canton of Bern, capable of processing over 40 hectoliters of spent brewer's yeast per hour.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences: ZHAW is the largest Fachhochschule in Switzerland by student count and the closest direct peer to FHNW, operating eight schools across multiple campuses in the Zurich region with comparable applied sciences and arts programs, AACSB-equivalent business accreditation, and similar cantonal funding structure.
• Berner Fachhochschule (BFH): BFH is a Swiss Fachhochschule offering a similar portfolio of applied sciences and arts programs across multiple departments. It competes with FHNW for students in the Bern/Northwestern Switzerland corridor and operates with a comparable cantonal funding model.
• OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences: OST (formed from the merger of FHO and FHS St.Gallen) is a multi-school Fachhochschule serving Eastern Switzerland with comparable applied degree programs in business, engineering, social work, and health — a direct regional counterpart to FHNW.
• HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland: HES-SO is the largest French-speaking Fachhochschule in Switzerland, offering a comparable multi-school structure and applied sciences portfolio. It represents the French-language counterpart to FHNW in Switzerland's bilingual higher-education system.
• SUPSI Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana: SUPSI is the Italian-speaking Swiss Fachhochschule based in Ticino, with a similar multi-department applied sciences structure. It is the closest comparable Fachhochschule to FHNW in terms of governance and degree program breadth.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Kalaidos is a smaller private Fachhochschule in Switzerland offering applied degree programs with strong industry linkages. It competes with FHNW in continuing education and applied research, particularly in health, business, and music.
• FHGR Fachhochschule Graubünden: FHGR is a smaller regional Fachhochschule offering applied degree programs in business, engineering, and tourism. It provides a comparable reference point for FHNW's scale and program mix at the smaller end of the Fachhochschule spectrum.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading research universities and a federal institution. It competes with FHNW for top students, faculty, and research funding in STEM fields, and represents the upper bound of Swiss higher-education prestige.
• EPFL: EPFL is the Swiss federal institute of technology in Lausanne and a global top-ranked university. It competes with FHNW in engineering, computer science, and life sciences research and is a key collaborator on the SERI innovation study alongside FHNW.
• University of St.Gallen (HSG): HSG is a leading Swiss university specializing in business, economics, law, and social sciences. It is a direct competitor to FHNW's AACSB-accredited business school and a collaborator on the KOF-led SERI innovation study involving FHNW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FHNW
• Facebookfacebook.com/fhnw.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fachhochschule-nordwestschweiz-fhnw
• Instagraminstagram.com/fhnw.ch
• Xx.com/fhnw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 FHNW