University of Oldenburg
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is a public research university in Lower Saxony, Germany, serving undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across six faculties, with distinctive research infrastructure in wind energy, marine science, hearing research, and quantum materials.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersOldenburg, Germany
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What University of Oldenburg does
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is a public research university in Lower Saxony, Germany, founded in 1973 and operating under state oversight as a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts supervised by the Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur. It serves a multi-thousand student body across six faculties — Educational and Social Sciences; Computer Science, Business and Law; Linguistics and Cultural Studies; Humanities and Social Sciences; Mathematics and Natural Sciences; and Medicine and Health Sciences — with additional locations in Wilhelmshaven and Bad Zwischenahn. The university generates revenue primarily through state appropriations from Lower Saxony, supplemented by semester contributions, third-party research grants from DFG, BMBF, ERC, and the EU (Erasmus+), continuing education fees through C3L (Center for Lifelong Learning), and industry research partnerships.
The university's technology and service portfolio spans three interconnected layers. The educational layer is built on Stud.IP, the campus learning management system, with targeted programs including the INSTEP preparatory course for refugees and the Honours-Programm for high-achieving master's students. The research layer is anchored by distinctive physical infrastructure: the WindLab turbulent wind tunnel (up to 150 km/h wind speed, 30m measurement section, 130+ researchers), CARL and EDDY supercomputers ranked in the global Top-500, the Haus des Hörens hearing research facility, and ICBM marine research stations in Wilhelmshaven. The transfer layer consists of C3L for lifelong learning, GIZ for startup incubation, the hoi startup factory (jointly with the University of Bremen via the Northwest Alliance), and a Technologietransfer und Patente division for IP management.
The go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer recruitment through a bilingual website, university information days, and welcome weeks with international exchange through Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements. The university differentiates through its regional research specialization in wind energy and turbulence (WindLab, ForWind jointly with Hannover and Bremen), marine science (ICBM, HIFMB with AWI), hearing science (Haus des Hörens), and quantum materials, supported by four excellence clusters operated jointly with the University of Bremen. Notable external validation includes an ERC Consolidator Grant to Prof. Christian Schneider and the European Academy of Wind Energy Scientific Award to Prof. Joachim Peinke.
University of Oldenburg firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Oldenburg
- Legal name
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
- Website
- https://uol.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is a public research university in Lower Saxony, Germany, serving undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across six faculties, with distinctive research infrastructure in wind energy, marine science, hearing research, and quantum materials.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Oldenburg industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advanced Wind Technology R&D (Floating Offshore, Airborne Wind, New Rotor/Blade Concepts) (EUAMAOAB), Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF), Virtual/Hybrid International Short-Term Academic Programs (EDAIAIAL), Hybrid/Blended Classroom & HyFlex Instruction Systems (EDAFABAC), Physics Enrichment Programs (EDAMABAH)
Keywords
Where University of Oldenburg is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oldenburg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
University of Oldenburg business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- State Public Funding: As a public university (Körperschaft des Öffentlichen Rechts), the University of Oldenburg is primarily funded by the State of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) through the Ministry for Science and Culture (MWK). This covers core operations, faculty salaries, and infrastructure.
- Student Semester Contributions: Students pay semester fees (Semesterbeiträge) which cover administrative services, student union (AStA), transportation benefits, and semester ticket. Amounts are set periodically and are not tuition fees per se for EU students.
- Research Grants and Drittmittel: The university attracts significant third-party research funding (Drittmittel) from German federal agencies (BMBF, BMBF), European Union (EUROMECH, ERC Consolidator Grants, Erasmus+), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and industry partnerships. Funded research areas include wind energy, quantum materials, hearing research, marine science, and sustainability.
- Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (C3L): The Center for Lifelong Learning (C3L) offers part-time bachelor's and master's degrees, professional certificates, and short courses for working adults, including programs like FLOW (sustainability/energy transition) and Kontaktstudium for migrants and refugees. Revenue generated through course fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Semi-Annual | Standard Semester Contribution (Semesterbeitrag) |
| Subscription | Per course | Continuing Education Programs (C3L) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
University of Oldenburg product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg is a public German university that delivers degree programs (bachelor's, master's, state examination, doctoral) across six faculties and conducts research with specializations in wind energy and turbulence, marine science, hearing science, sustainability, and quantum materials. It supplements on-campus education with lifelong learning (C3L), startup support (GIZ), and research infrastructure (WindLab, ForWind, CARL/EDDY supercomputers).
Product overview
Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg is a public university offering a broad spectrum of academic programs across six faculties. Its technology and service portfolio consists primarily of educational support platforms (Stud.IP LMS, INSTEP preparation program, Honours-Programm for high-achieving master's students), research infrastructure (WindLab, ForWind), and applied knowledge-transfer units (C3L for lifelong learning, GIZ for startup support). These offerings are interconnected: Stud.IP serves as the primary digital hub for course delivery across all programs; C3L and GIZ build on academic research to deliver professional development and entrepreneurship services; WindLab and ForWind provide the research backbone for energy and turbulence studies that inform teaching and external collaboration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Stud.IP Campus and Learning Management System University-wide learning management platform used by students and faculty for course management, event directories, student communication, and delivery of learning resources.
- C3L Center for Lifelong Learning Continuing education division offering part-time bachelor's and master's degrees, professional certificates, and short courses for working adults, including programs like FLOW (sustainability/energy transition) and Future Skills Leadership training.
- GIZ Startup and Innovation Centre University startup support center providing entrepreneurship advice, funding, events, networking, and startup portraits to help founders develop ventures.
- WindLab Research Laboratory for Turbulence and Wind Energy Systems Unique turbulent wind tunnel laboratory on Campus Wechloy capable of generating realistic storm turbulence at wind speeds up to 150 km/h with a 30-meter measurement section, accommodating over 130 researchers for turbulence, wind turbine load, and extreme wave research.
- CARL and EDDY High-Performance Computing Clusters High-performance computing clusters ranked in the global Top 500, used for computational physics, turbulence simulations, wind energy modeling, and quantum materials research.
- INSTEP Study Preparation Program Study preparation program for refugees and prospective international students who lack sufficient German language proficiency before beginning degree studies, including German language training and academic orientation.
- Honours Programme Merit-based program for master's students with above-average performance offering individual career counseling, research support, and networking opportunities.
Quantifiable outcome
- ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Prof. Christian Schneider for novel quantum materials research
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use University of Oldenburg
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
University of Oldenburg technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature6 records
University of Oldenburg partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Northwest Alliance (NWA)coreA strategic partnership between the University of Oldenburg and the University of Bremen creating a shared science area in northwest Germany. The alliance operates four excellence clusters for internationally visible top-level research. It includes joint graduate schools, research centers (including quantum materials, care research, and marine biodiversity), startup factory (hoi startup factory), and technology transfer collaboration. The alliance aims to strengthen the northwestern German region as a research hub.
- ForWind – Zentrum für WindenergieforschungcoreCollaborative wind energy research center jointly operated by the Universities of Oldenburg, Hannover, and Bremen. Research areas include turbulence effects on wind turbines, wind farm optimization, wind field modeling, extreme events, and wind turbine condition monitoring. ForWind is a leading European wind energy research consortium with a turbulent wind laboratory (WindLab) and high-performance computing infrastructure.
- Hanse University AlliancecoreUniversity of Oldenburg is a member of the Hanse University Alliance (HUA), a network of universities in northern Germany working together on shared academic and research objectives.
- DLR – Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Institut für Vernetzte EnergiesystemecoreThe DLR Institute for Networked Energy Systems is located on the university campus at Campus Wechloy. It conducts research on energy system integration, renewable energy grids, and energy transition technologies. Co-located research activities and joint projects with university researchers.
- OFFIS – InformatikinstitutcoreOFFIS (Institute for Computer Science) is an external research institute co-located on the university campus. It conducts applied informatics research including healthcare informatics, energy systems, and media informatics, often in collaboration with university faculty.
- HIFMB – Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine BiodiversitycoreThe Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) is a joint institution of the University of Oldenburg and the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI). Located on the university campus, it conducts research on marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and conservation in a changing climate.
- ICBM – Institut für Chemie und Biologie des MeerescoreThe Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine (ICBM) is a central research institute of the university with locations in Oldenburg and Wilhelmshaven. It conducts interdisciplinary marine research including marine chemistry, biology, sensor technology (ZfMarS), and environmental science.
- Schlaues Haus Oldenburg (SHO)minorSchlaues Haus Oldenburg (Smart House Oldenburg) is a transfer venue where research meets the public. It serves as a bridge between science and society, hosting events, exhibitions, and discussions on science, technology, and sustainability topics.
- Partner Universities NetworkcoreUniversity maintains formal partnership agreements with numerous international universities for student and researcher exchange. Includes strategic partner universities, Erasmus+ program partners, and bilateral agreements. Focus regions include Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and globally.
- hoi startup factoryminorStartup factory associated with the Northwest Alliance, supporting entrepreneurial ventures emerging from the university and regional ecosystem. Operated in collaboration with the university's Gründungs- und Innovationszentrum (GIZ).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights4 records
University of Oldenburg competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University of Bremen: Strategic partner via the Northwest Alliance and co-operator of ForWind wind energy research center; comparable size, similar Lower Saxony/ Bremen regional profile, and overlapping marine science and social science strengths make Bremen the most directly comparable peer.
- Leibniz University Hannover: Co-founder and joint operator of ForWind — the central wind energy research center anchored at Oldenburg; similar-sized German public university with overlapping physics and engineering faculties, making it the closest peer in the wind research niche.
- Carl von Ossietzky... wait, this is the subject: Omitted — this is the subject company.
Regional players
- University of Osnabrück: Neighboring Lower Saxony public university of comparable size with overlapping educational sciences and social sciences faculties; competes for the same regional student pool while collaborating on some Lower Saxony-wide programs.
- University of Vechta: Smaller Lower Saxony public university located near Oldenburg; competing for teacher education (Lehramt) students in the same regional catchment, particularly in educational sciences where Faculty I at Oldenburg is strong.
- University of Rostock: Mid-sized northern German public university with a strong marine research profile (located on the Baltic); competes for marine research talent and Drittmittel in northern Germany, and shares a similar demographic and regional profile.
- Helmut Schmidt University (University of the Bundeswehr Hamburg): Another northern German public university of comparable size; competes for engineering and economics students in the Hamburg/northern Germany corridor and shares some Drittmittel grant channels.
Broad incumbents
- TU Delft (Wind Energy & Aerospace): European technical university with one of the largest wind energy research groups globally (DUWIND); competes with ForWind for top wind research talent and European Research Council grants, and is the standard international benchmark for Oldenburg's wind energy ambitions.
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU): Leading European technical university for wind energy (DTU Wind); operates at a larger scale than Oldenburg but competes in the same turbulence and wind turbine aerodynamics research domain, and is a key European competitor for Drittmittel and doctoral candidates.
Others
- Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES): Adjacent applied research institute focused exclusively on wind energy; not a university, but a key institution that competes with ForWind/WindLab for industry-funded research contracts and is co-located with similar northern German partners.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
University of Oldenburg social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Oldenburg compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
University of Oldenburg financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Oldenburg leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
University of Oldenburg subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
University of Oldenburg funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of Oldenburg M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of Oldenburg
What does University of Oldenburg do?
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg is a public German university that delivers degree programs (bachelor's, master's, state examination, doctoral) across six faculties and conducts research with specializations in wind energy and turbulence, marine science, hearing science, sustainability, and quantum materials. It supplements on-campus education with lifelong learning (C3L), startup support (GIZ), and research infrastructure (WindLab, ForWind, CARL/EDDY supercomputers).
Is University of Oldenburg a public or private company?
University of Oldenburg is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Oldenburg founded?
University of Oldenburg was founded in 1973. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is University of Oldenburg based?
University of Oldenburg is headquartered in Oldenburg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does University of Oldenburg make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. State Public Funding is the primary driver. The others are student Semester Contributions, research Grants and Drittmittel and continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (C3L).
Who are University of Oldenburg's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University of Bremen, Leibniz University Hannover and Carl von Ossietzky... wait, this is the subject. Regional players are University of Osnabrück, University of Vechta, University of Rostock and Helmut Schmidt University (University of the Bundeswehr Hamburg). Broad incumbents are TU Delft (Wind Energy & Aerospace) and Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems (IWES) is listed as an others.
Does University of Oldenburg have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Oldenburg.
What industry is University of Oldenburg in?
University of Oldenburg's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAEAL, Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus, with a secondary code of EUAMAOAB, Advanced Wind Technology R&D (Floating Offshore, Airborne Wind, New Rotor/Blade Concepts). Its NAICS code is 6113.