Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft

What Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft does

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden (HTW Dresden) is a public University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften) located in Dresden, Saxony, Germany, founded in 1992 and operating under the jurisdiction of the Free State of Saxony. It is the second-largest university in the state capital and is publicly funded primarily through the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism (SMWK) without charging tuition fees for degree programmes. It delivers practice-oriented higher education across eight faculties: Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering, Geoinformation, Informatics/Mathematics, Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Business Administration, awarding Bachelor's, Master's, and Diploma degrees, with selected Master's programmes subject to restricted admission.

The institution operates an applied-research and technology-transfer infrastructure built around the ZAFT research centre (validation funding and industry collaboration), the Gründungsschmiede startup incubator, the Lab X makerspace, the ZID centralised IT service centre, and a central university library, with digital learning and curricular AI support services offered to students. It is structurally embedded in regional networks — Saxony⁵, DRESDEN-concept, HAWtech, TAItech — and cooperates with TU Dresden, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Fraunhofer IIS and ENAS, IDTA, and the BIOZENTRA biodiversity transfer centre. International reach is supported by Erasmus+ and bilateral partnerships with IIT Roorkee and the National Institute of Hydrology in India, AIST in Japan, and the University of Tübingen.

HTW serves two stakeholder groups: domestic and international students pursuing practice-oriented qualifications (the primary segment), and regional/international industry partners engaging in cooperative research, technology transfer, continuing education, graduate recruitment, and dual-study programmes (the secondary segment). Distribution occurs through open and restricted admission channels for domestic applicants, uni-assist for international degree seekers, and dedicated exchange and continuing-education pathways. The university is led by Rector Prof. Ingo Gestring and Prorektorin Prof. Kathrin Harre (Research, Sustainability and Transfer); 2026 milestones include the first joint HTWD-HZDR professorship, membership in the SAX-QT Quantum Saxony network, and the founding of the IDTA-Research-Hub Semiconductor with TU Dresden and IDTA.

Name

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft

Legal name

Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden

Website

https://htw-dresden.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

HTW Dresden is a public German University of Applied Sciences founded in 1992 in Saxony, delivering tuition-free Bachelor's, Master's, and Diploma programmes across eight faculties and conducting applied research with regional industry partners and international collaborators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Academic Application Support (EDALAMAC)

Keywords

• Higher education
• University degree programmes
• Applied research
• Technology transfer
• Startup incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dresden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HTW Dresden is a public University of Applied Sciences offering practice-oriented Bachelor's, Master's and Diploma degree programmes across eight faculties (Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering, Geoinformation, Informatics/Mathematics, Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Business Administration). The institution also conducts applied research through its ZAFT research centre, supports start-ups via the Gründungsschmiede incubator, and operates supporting infrastructure including a university library (Hochschulbibliothek), the ZID IT service centre, the Lab X makerspace, and the Modulux online module database.

Product overview

HTW Dresden is a University of Applied Sciences offering educational programmes across eight faculties (Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering, Geoinformation, Informatics/Mathematics, Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Business Administration). The institution provides Bachelor's, Master's, and Diploma programmes, alongside research services through the ZAFT research centre, startup support via Gründungsschmiede, and maker facilities through Lab X. IT services are centralized via ZID, while the library provides academic resources. The Modulux platform provides module information, and the Career Service supports student employment pathways.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HTW Dresden Study Programmes University study programmes across eight faculties (Civil Engineering, Design, Electrical Engineering, Geoinformation, Informatics/Mathematics, Agriculture/Environment/Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, and Business Administration), leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Diploma degrees with continuing education options. Targeted at prospective domestic and international students.
• Design: Produkt und Kommunikation (BA) Seven-semester Bachelor of Arts programme at the Faculty of Design focused on integrative design of hybrid products and applications combining physical, medial, and communicative aspects. Awarded 210 ECTS credits. Targeted at prospective design students.
• Design: Products and Interactions (MA) Three-semester Master of Arts programme at the Faculty of Design focusing on design of hybrid interactive products where materiality and mediality are symbiotically interconnected. Awarded 90 ECTS credits and subject to an artistic/design aptitude test. Targeted at prospective Master's design students.
• Gründungsschmiede (Startup Service) Startup incubator supporting students, researchers, and staff with consulting, workshops, and co-working spaces for developing business ideas from concept to market. Offered to members of the HTW Dresden community and external founders.
• Forschungszentrum ZAFT (Applied Research Centre) Applied research centre offering technology transfer, validation funding, and support for collaborations between academia and industry. Targeted at researchers, partner companies, and regional innovation stakeholders.
• Lab X (Makerspace) Makerspace facility providing tools and equipment for prototyping, repair workshops, and hands-on project work for students and researchers. Targeted at students and researchers engaged in practical, fabrication-based projects.
• Hochschulbibliothek (University Library) Central library providing access to academic literature, databases, research publications, and information services for students and faculty. Targeted at HTW Dresden students, researchers, and academic staff.
• ZID (IT Service Centre) Central IT department providing computing infrastructure, network services, digital systems, and technology support for the university's operations and academic activities. Targeted at the university community.
• Modulux (Module Database) Online module database providing detailed information on course modules, curricula, and study requirements across all programmes. Targeted at prospective and enrolled students and academic advisors.
• Career Service Career guidance service offering coaching, workshops, networking events, and access to a dedicated job portal (jobboerse.htw-dresden.de) supporting student employment pathways and graduate recruitment. Targeted at HTW Dresden students and graduates.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Design faculty has approximately 150 students and 9 professors, making it the smallest faculty at HTW Dresden, offering a highly personal and communicative atmosphere.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SAX-QT Quantum SaxonycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026
• City Outlet Pirna GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026
• Saxony⁵coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaxony⁵ is a transfer network (Verbund) of Saxon universities of applied sciences. HTW Dresden participates as a core partner, engaging in technology transfer, joint research projects, startup support (Gründungsschmiede), and collaborative innovation initiatives across Saxony.
• DRESDEN-conceptcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• HAWtechminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• TAItechminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• DG HochN (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltigkeit an Hochschulen)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Erasmus+ (European Union)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• TU DresdencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• TU ChemnitzminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• TU Bergakademie FreibergminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• University of TübingenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Industrial Digital Twin Association (IDTA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee (NIH)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• AIST Japan (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Selco Foundation, PRASARI, Social Apha, Sustain Plus, Tata Trusts, KABIL (India NGOs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Bineswar Brahma Engineering College, GuwahatiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Dresden|exists (Startup Service of Dresden Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Studentenwerk DresdenminorOthersStudentenwerk Dresden provides social services to HTW Dresden students, including counselling, dining services, and housing support.
• BIOZENTRA (Transfer Centre for Biodiversity Saxony)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FH Aachen: Large German FH with engineering, business, and design programmes and applied-research emphasis. Comparable in faculty breadth and HAW positioning.
• Technische Hochschule Köln: One of Germany's largest HAWs with 11 faculties across engineering, business, design, and applied sciences. Highly comparable in scale and applied-research portfolio breadth.
• Hochschule für Technik Stuttgart: Stuttgart-based HAW focused on engineering, architecture, and design with strong industry links. Comparable as a technically oriented HAW with built-environment and design faculty structure.
• HTWK Leipzig (Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur Leipzig): HTWK Leipzig is a Saxon University of Applied Sciences with parallel engineering, business, and design faculties. It is the closest geographic and structural peer to HTW Dresden within Saxony's HAW landscape.
• Technische Hochschule Wildau: Engineering- and business-focused University of Applied Sciences in Brandenburg with similar applied-research and transfer mission. Comparable in scope, faculty structure, and East-German HAW positioning.
• Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz: Another Saxon HAW with engineering and natural-sciences focus, jointly operating with Saxony⁵. Directly comparable as a regional HAW peer serving applied-research and technology-transfer functions.
• Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau: Saxon HAW with applied engineering, business and design programmes, also a Saxony⁵ partner. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and Saxon-state funding model.
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar): German HAW with nearly identical name and scope, covering engineering, business, and applied sciences. Directly comparable as a technical HAW of similar size and applied-research focus.

Broad incumbents

• TU Dresden: Full research university and HTW's core Dresden partner/competitor. Overlaps in engineering and applied sciences but offers the full-university research portfolio that HAWs structurally lack, including DFG/ERC access and doctoral degree-granting.

Others

• Fraunhofer IIS (Institut für Integrierte Schaltungen): Adjacent applied-research partner headquartered in the Dresden region. Comparable as an applied-research institution that contracts with industry, but does not offer degree programmes and operates under a different funding model (joint federal-state).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HTWDresden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hochschule-f-r-technik-und-wirtschaft
• Xx.com/dresdenhtw

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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