Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

What Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences does

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) is a public German university of applied sciences founded in 1995 and headquartered in Sankt Augustin, with two additional campuses in Rheinbach and Hennef. The university operates five departments — Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering and Communication, Applied Natural Sciences, and Social Policy and Social Security — delivering approximately 40 Bachelor and Master programs and enrolling around 1,900 new students each semester. Its core teaching and research proposition is practice-oriented higher education grounded in current research, supported by 16 specialized institutes covering visual computing, AI and autonomous systems, safety and security research, cyber security, natural sciences, and sustainability.

The technology portfolio is anchored by dedicated research infrastructure including the Institute for Visual Computing (IVC, VR/AR/XR), the Institute for AI and Autonomous Systems (A2S), the Institute for Security Research (ISF), the TREE institute for resource and energy efficiency, and facilities such as the Biometrics Evaluation Centre (BEZ, operated jointly with Germany's BSI), the Cloud-Lab (with Bechtle), and the Cyber Security Learning Lab. The Centre for Applied Research (ZAF) and the Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (ZWT) coordinate industry collaboration, with documented partnerships including DLR (CBRN-E detection research), University of Bonn (DFG-funded joint graduate college on urban futures), and numerous SMEs.

Revenue is generated from three streams: NRW state base funding for teaching and research, third-party research grants (DFG, federal ministries, EU, industry) — with documented awards of approximately 8.7M EUR (Innovative Hochschule 2017), 6M EUR (DFG Forschungsimpulse 2023), 2.7M EUR (NRW ZAT 2024), 2.0M EUR (BMWi EXIST 2020), 1.8M EUR (NRW IT infrastructure 2018), and 700K EUR (DFG biomedical 2024) — and modest semester fees from students. As a public state institution under NRW jurisdiction, H-BRS has no private ownership; its 2024 leadership transition to President Marion Halfmann marks the first presidential change in 16 years.

Name

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

Website

https://h-brs.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) is a public German university of applied sciences operating across three campuses in the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg region, delivering approximately 40 degree programs to around 1,900 new students per semester and conducting applied research across 16 specialized institutes spanning AI, cyber security, visual computing, sustainability, and biomedical fields.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Applied Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI), Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Applied higher education
• University research institutes
• Technology transfer services
• Industry collaborative research
• Practice-oriented degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sankt Augustin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Funding: Public higher education institution funded primarily by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, receiving government allocations for teaching and research activities.
2. Third-Party Research Funding: Research funding from external sources including DFG (German Research Foundation), EU projects, federal ministries, and industry partners. Examples include 6 million euros from DFG for biomedical research centre and 2.7 million euros from NRW Ministry for Centre for Assistive Technologies.
3. tuition and fees: Modest semester fees charged to students, though public universities in Germany traditionally have low or no tuition for EU students.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) is a public German university that delivers practice-oriented higher education through approximately 40 Bachelor and Master degree programs across five departments (Business Administration, Computer Science, Engineering and Communication, Applied Natural Sciences, Social Policy and Social Security). It also conducts applied research through 16 specialized research institutes covering visual computing, AI and autonomous systems, security research, sustainability, and consumer informatics, and facilitates technology transfer to industry through the Centre for Applied Research (ZAF) and Centre for Science and Technology Transfer (ZWT).

Product overview

Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences (H-BRS) operates as a multi-disciplinary university offering approximately 40 Bachelor and Master degree programs across five departments. The institution functions as a research-intensive university with 16 institutes conducting research in key focus areas including sustainability, digitalization, and security. The technology portfolio centers on specialized research institutes: the Institute for Visual Computing (IVC) focusing on VR/AR/XR technologies, the Institute for AI and Autonomous Systems (A2S) for machine learning and autonomous robotics, the Institute for Security Research (ISF) for detection technologies, and the Institute for Technology, Resource Conservation and Energy Efficiency (TREE). These institutes collaborate through the Centre of Applied Research (ZAF) with external industry partners. The university also operates dedicated labs and facilities including the Biometrics Evaluation Center (BEZ), Cloud-Lab, and Cyber Security Learning Lab, providing technology platforms for research, teaching, and regional innovation transfer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IVC - Institute for Visual Computing

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 in student satisfaction among all universities in North Rhine-Westphalia with 3.2/4.0 score
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• German Jordanian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Strategic partnership agreement signed to expand international profile. Universities collaborate on joint projects and academic exchange programs.
• University of Cape Coast (Ghana)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Strategic partnership agreement building on existing collaborative projects. Deepens academic cooperation and student/faculty exchange.
• Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Biometrics Evaluation Centre (BEZ) testing and evaluating biometrics and cybersecurity systems. Ongoing cooperation since 2021.
• Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpanded cooperation in security research, joint research cluster for detection of hazardous substances (CBRN-E). Cooperation agreement signed in February 2023.
• Innovatec Gerätebau GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst research partner in ZAF labs, working on ozonization of air and water, detection technologies, and water purification systems. Located in Rheinbach.
• Bechtle GmbH & Co. KGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCloud-Lab partnership where Bechtle companies and the Data Innovation Lab collaborate on cloud computing research and education.
• GKN Sinter Metals and GKN DrivelinemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTREE-Energy Lab collaboration on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and 3D printing for optimized components in the automotive sector.
• Spectral Service AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in TREE Sustainable Materials Lab working on biopolymer analysis using NMR spectroscopy and GPC with chemometric modeling.
• Bundeswehrzentralkrankenhaus KoblenzmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation in biomedical research and teaching. First joint projects yielded important findings on rare but serious infections.
• Universität BonncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint graduate college (Graduiertenkolleg) 'Urbane Zukunft' on urban futures with University of Bonn and UKB, funded by DFG.
• Hochschule Rhein-WaalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Zentrum für Assistive Technologien Rhein-Ruhr' along with Hochschule Niederrhein and University of Duisburg-Essen.
• Hochschule NiederrheinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Zentrum für Assistive Technologien Rhein-Ruhr' along with Hochschule Rhein-Waal and University of Duisburg-Essen.
• Universität Duisburg-EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'Zentrum für Assistive Technologien Rhein-Ruhr' along with Hochschulen Rhein-Waal and Niederrhein.
• Max-Planck-Institut für ChemiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project 'KLUGER Transfer' examining knowledge transfer from basic research through applied sciences to society, politics, and business.
• Transferallianz Rheinisches Revier (TARR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance of six universities of applied sciences to contribute scientific expertise to structural change in the Rhenish mining region.
• Hochschulallianz für den Mittelstand (HAfM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerH-BRS is a founding member of the alliance providing structured, stable partnership between universities of applied sciences and medium-sized businesses.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): Largest University of Applied Sciences in NRW with comparable applied-research profile and industry-partnered institutes; competes directly with H-BRS for students, faculty, and collaborative research in the Bonn/Cologne corridor.
• FH Aachen (Aachen University of Applied Sciences): NRW-based technical HAW with engineering, computer science, and applied sciences faculties; directly comparable in scale, applied-research orientation, and regional industry partnership model.
• Hochschule Niederrhein: NRW University of Applied Sciences and direct collaboration partner in the Centre for Assistive Technologies Rhein-Ruhr; shares similar applied sciences scope, size, and German HAW funding model.
• Hochschule Rhein-Waal: NRW University of Applied Sciences and direct partner in the Centre for Assistive Technologies Rhein-Ruhr; comparable in applied-research orientation, English-language programmes, and industry collaboration patterns.
• Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da): Mid-sized German University of Applied Sciences with similar mix of engineering, computer science, business, and natural sciences; mirrors H-BRS's applied-research institute model and DFG-grant strategy at HAW level.
• Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences): Largest German University of Applied Sciences; comparable in applied-research institute structure and industry partnerships, although with broader scale and stronger regional industry base in Bavaria.
• Hochschule Osnabrück: Mid-sized German HAW with strong applied-research orientation and industry-linked institutes; comparable in faculty/department mix and third-party research funding profile among German Universities of Applied Sciences.

Broad incumbents

• RWTH Aachen University: Major NRW technical university and broader incumbent; overlaps in engineering, computer science, and applied research but operates as a full university with significantly larger research budget, full Promotionsrecht, and broader scope.
• University of Bonn (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn): Co-located full university and direct graduate-college partner; competes for students, faculty, and DFG funding in the same geography, and represents the higher-tier alternative H-BRS positions against for applied research talent.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT): National research university combining a university of applied sciences tradition (former Fachhochschule Karlsruhe) with full-university status; serves as the broader-scale incumbent model H-BRS aspires toward with its new Promotionsrecht.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hsbrs
• Xx.com/h_bonnrheinsieg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences