TH Cologne

What TH Cologne does

TH Köln is a public German university of applied sciences (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) located in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, with additional campuses in Gummersbach, Leverkusen, and a research development site in Erftstadt. Founded in 1971 (traced back to 1955) and operating as a Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts under the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the university enrolls approximately 23,500 students across roughly 100 bachelor and master programs organized into 12 faculties spanning applied natural sciences, engineering, computer science, architecture, business, cultural studies, and design. The institution does not sell commercial products; instead, its core "technology" consists of research infrastructure including a high-voltage laboratory, the Cologne Game Lab, the Cologne Cobots Lab, and applied research projects.

The university serves four primary stakeholder groups: domestic students seeking practice-oriented higher education, international students (around 2,350, with 1,600+ in MINT/STEM fields), regional companies and organizations in the Cologne metropolitan region seeking skilled talent and research collaboration, and 300+ international partner universities. Revenue flows from state and federal higher education funding, third-party research grants (notably the nearly €10 million Co-Site project from the Innovative Hochschule initiative, 2023–2027, and €120 million in DAAD-funded talent integration programs), continuing education through the Academy for Scientific Continuing Education, and EU programs such as Erasmus+. Tuition for degree programs is effectively free, with only a semester contribution fee.

TH Köln is positioned as an internationally connected regional powerhouse, participating in major initiatives including the PIONEER Alliance (a 10-university European consortium under Erasmus+ with 130,000+ students), the Connecting Dots internationalization project (DAAD, 2025–2027), and the Ready, Study, Go career integration program for international MINT students. Applied research is concentrated on climate adaptation (Co-Site/CEIN), sustainable urban development aligned with UN SDG 11, energy transition (GridMaximizer Phase 2 with devolo solutions GmbH), and emerging areas such as AI/VR-based historical reconstruction (HistoVear project).

Name

TH Cologne

Legal name

TH Köln – Technische Hochschule Köln

Website

https://th-koeln.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

TH Köln is a German public university of applied sciences with 23,500 students across 12 faculties and multiple campuses in Cologne, Gummersbach, and Leverkusen. It delivers practice-oriented bachelor and master programs, applied research, and continuing education funded by state allocations and third-party grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI), Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Applied sciences programs
• Bachelor master degrees
• Continuing professional education
• Applied research projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Cologne

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a German public university (Hochschule unter öffentlichem Recht), TH Köln receives government funding from federal and state sources for teaching and research activities.
2. Research Project Funding: Third-party funding from research projects including Co-Site (approximately 10 million euros from Innovative Hochschule initiative), DAAD-funded internationalization programs, and EU Erasmus+ grants.
3. Continuing Education: The Academy for Scientific Continuing Education (Akademie für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung) offers professional development courses and programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TH Köln is a public university of applied sciences delivering higher education across roughly 100 bachelor and master programs in 12 faculties covering architecture, engineering, computer science, business, applied natural and social sciences, design, and cultural studies. It also offers continuing professional education through the Academy for Scientific Continuing Education, conducts applied research (including the Co-Site real-world laboratory on climate adaptation), and runs internationalization projects such as the PIONEER Alliance and Ready, Study, Go.

Product overview

TH Köln offers higher education across approximately 100 bachelor and master programs organized in nine faculties. Beyond traditional study programs, the institution operates multiple international collaboration initiatives including the PIONEER Alliance (European university consortium for sustainable cities), Connecting Dots (DAAD-funded internationalization project), and Ready, Study, Go (career integration program for international students). Research-focused offerings include the Co-Site real-world laboratory for climate adaptation and the HistoVear AI/VR project for historical clothing reconstruction. Teaching innovation is supported through COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) and Challenge-Based Education formats. The university also hosts International Fellows programs and maintains strategic partnerships with over 300 partner universities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connecting Dots: Internationalization project funded by DAAD's HAW.International program (01.01.2025 to 31.12.2027) focusing on broadening internationalization and profile building.
• Ready, Study, Go
• PIONEER Alliance
• Co-Site

Products and services

• Bachelor and Master Degree Programs About 100 accredited bachelor and master degree programs across 12 faculties including architecture, engineering, computer science, business, applied natural and social sciences, design, and cultural studies, delivered through campus-based instruction at Cologne, Gummersbach, Leverkusen, and Erftstadt campuses to prospective and enrolled students primarily free of tuition (semester contribution fee only).
• Academy for Scientific Continuing Education (Akademie für wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung) Fee-based continuing education, professional development courses, customized in-house training, and certificate programs in areas including library and information, education and consulting, design and culture, digital and communication, energy/production/sustainability, economics/insurance/law, safety and risk, and urban planning/infrastructure, targeted at working professionals and organizations.
• International Exchange and Double Degree Programs Erasmus+ and bilateral student and staff exchange programs, double degree offerings, and collaborative online international learning (COIL) with 300+ international partner universities, enabling globally mobile students and researchers.
• PIONEER Alliance European University Consortium PIONEER Alliance is a European university consortium of 10 institutions coordinating TH Köln's contribution to cross-border teaching formats (Challenge-Based Education, COIL), student and staff mobility, and joint research addressing sustainable urban development in alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11.
• Ready, Study, Go International Talent Program Career preparation, counseling, networking events, and company visit program supporting international students (especially in MINT fields) with job market integration into the Cologne metropolitan region through DAAD and BMFTR funding.
• Connecting Dots Internationalization Project DAAD-funded internationalization project (HAW.International program line) running 2025-2027 that broadens TH Köln's internationalization and profile building through strategic partnerships, an International Fellows Program, and a Climate Change Adaptation Network.
• Co-Site Regional Climate Adaptation Real Laboratory Co-Site is an interdisciplinary real-world laboratory project (2023-2027) with about 10 million euros of government funding under the Bund-Länder Innovative Hochschule initiative that creates co-creative transfer processes to support regional climate adaptation and the planning of critical and green-blue infrastructures in the Cologne region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 10 million euros in research funding secured for regional climate adaptation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• devolo solutions GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Collaborative research project 'GridMaximizer – Phase 2' to enable decentralized, grid-friendly control of electricity consumers and producers as part of the energy transition.
• RWE Power AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for development of CEIN (Center for Innovation with Nature) campus in Erftstadt in the Rheinische Revier structural change region.
• PIONEER AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university consortium of 10 institutions with 130,000+ students and 17,000 staff. Coordinator: Université Gustave Eiffel (France). Partners: AVANS (Netherlands), Berner FH (Switzerland), ISCTE-IUL (Portugal), LAUREA (Finland), Tomas Bata (Czech Republic), Universidad de Huelva (Spain), Iuav di Venezia (Italy), University of Žilina (Slovakia). Supported by EU Erasmus+.
• 300+ International Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive bilateral partnerships with universities worldwide for student and staff exchange, research collaboration, and double degree programs.
• Co-Site Regional Partners (Co-Site Ökosystem)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network including Co-Site Innovation Hub, Innovation Hub Bergisches RheinLand, and Trendauto2030plus for transfer and collaboration.
• Companies in Cologne Metropolitan RegionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional businesses participating in Ready, Study, Go network for international talent recruitment and student engagement.
• Avans University of Applied SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands partner in PIONEER Alliance with active exchange and collaboration in teaching and research development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avans University of Applied Sciences: Dutch UAS and PIONEER Alliance partner; comparable applied-sciences model with strong industry ties and similar international student orientation.
• Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA): German technical university of applied sciences focused on engineering and natural sciences; closely comparable in technical UAS identity and industry partnerships.
• FH Aachen (Aachen University of Applied Sciences): Another large German public university of applied sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia offering engineering, design, and business programs; comparable in mission, funding model, and student scale to TH Köln.
• HTW Berlin (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin): Large German UAS with comparable applied-sciences portfolio across engineering, business, and design; serves as a peer in scale, program mix, and employer-talent integration model.
• Hochschule Düsseldorf (HSD): Public UAS in the same NRW region with similar faculties (engineering, design, social sciences) and practice-oriented profile; competes directly with TH Köln for students and regional industry partnerships.
• Berner Fachhochschule (BFH): Swiss UAS and PIONEER Alliance partner with practice-oriented degree programs across engineering, business, and design; relevant international comparator for TH Köln's applied model.
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences: Finnish UAS and PIONEER Alliance partner; comparable in size, applied-research orientation, and focus on regional industry–university collaboration.
• Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences): One of Germany's largest UAS institutions with broad engineering, business, and design faculties; competes for the same federal/industry funding pools and for international students.
• Hochschule Bremen (Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences): Fellow UAS7 member with similar size, practice-oriented programs, and industry integration; directly comparable in internationalization and applied-research positioning.
• Universität Gustave Eiffel: French coordinator of the PIONEER Alliance with engineering and urban-development focus; comparable in applied-research scale and consortium leadership role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiGwydBeO5PHU86jHIoIw_A
• Facebookfacebook.com/technischehochschulekoeln
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cologne-university-of-applied-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/th_koeln
• Xx.com/th_koeln

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about TH Cologne