Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

What Hamburg University of Applied Sciences does

Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg, legally Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg) is a public university organized as a Körperschaft des Öffentlichen Rechts under the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Founded in 1970, it is positioned as Northern Germany's leading university of applied sciences, serving approximately 16,675 enrolled students with 386 professors across 39 Bachelor and 35–37 Master degree programs spanning design, health, informatics, media, social sciences, engineering, natural sciences, and business. The institution operates multiple campuses in Hamburg (Berliner Tor, Bergedorf, Finkenau, Alexanderstraße, plus research-focused Energy Campus Bergedorf and the Center for Postgraduate Studies) and draws students and staff from over 100 nations.

HAW Hamburg runs an integrated digital ecosystem anchored by myHAW campus management, a Single-Sign-on service with two-factor authentication, the Moodle learning management system, an in-house E-Assessment platform for digital examinations (in operation since October 2015), ViaMINT for video-based STEM learning, and the HIBS library system with its BibLeo learning center. A MIFARE DESfire-based chip card integrates ID, access control, library, and payment functions. Research is organized around three Competence Centers — CC4E (energy transition, partnered with Erneuerbare Energien Hamburg and Fraunhofer), CCG (health), and Smart Systems in Society — plus an AI Network (KI-Netzwerk) for teaching, learning, and assessment under the broader digitalization strategy. International partnerships span UAS7, Erasmus+, HAW goes USA (CSULB, Virginia Tech, MICA, University of Rhode Island), and the joint Shanghai-Hamburg College with the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.

The business model is primarily non-commercial: HAW Hamburg charges no tuition for regular degree programs (only a semester contribution for administration, student services, and a public-transport ticket), with revenue drawn from federal and Hamburg state block funding, third-party research grants and EU program funding, and fee-based continuing education programs through Campus Weiterbildung. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for prospective students via school partnerships, orientation programs, and the university's own digital channels (website, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, CleverReach newsletters), and direct-to-enterprise for industry collaboration through Competence Centers and dual study programs. Technology partnerships with Microsoft (Teams, Azure, Office 365), netcup GmbH (E-Assessment hosting), and CleverReach (email) are operational vendor relationships rather than commercial revenue streams.

Name

Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften (HAW Hamburg)

Website

https://haw-hamburg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) is a state-funded public university serving 16,675 students through 39 Bachelor and ~36 Master programs, anchored by an integrated digital ecosystem (myHAW, Moodle, E-Assessment, SSO) and three Competence Centers in energy, health, and smart systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Applied Sciences)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Dual/Joint Degree Programs (International) (EDAIABAD), University-Led Summer/Winter Schools (Credit/Non-Credit) (EDAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Applied sciences research
• Continuing professional education
• Dual study programs
• University transfer partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: As a German public university (Körperschaft des Öffentlichen Rechts), HAW Hamburg receives government funding from federal and state sources for education and research activities.
2. Tuition-free Education: German public universities generally do not charge tuition; HAW Hamburg is primarily funded through public means rather than student tuition.
3. Research Funding and Grants: Third-party research funding from government agencies, EU programs, and industry partners for specific research projects.
4. Continuing Education Programs: Fee-based continuing education and professional development programs offered through Campus Weiterbildung.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HAW Hamburg delivers tuition-free higher education in applied sciences through 39 Bachelor and 35 Master degree programs across eight faculties, supported by a digital learning ecosystem and applied research. The university also offers fee-based continuing education through Campus Weiterbildung, conducts transdisciplinary research in three Competence Centers (Energy Transition, Health, Smart Systems in Society), and provides knowledge transfer and dual study programs to industry partners.

Product overview

HAW Hamburg operates as a University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) offering a unified digital ecosystem consisting of core platforms including the myHAW campus management system, the Single-Sign-on-Service for unified authentication, and the Moodle-based learning management system. These integrate with specialized services such as the E-Assessment platform for digital examinations, ViaMINT for video-based STEM learning, the HIBS library system with BibLeo learning center, and the Chipkarte smart card for ID, access control, and payments. The university also operates three Competence Centers (CC4E for energy transition, CCG for health, and Smart Systems in Society) for research. Supporting infrastructure includes VPN, Microsoft Office 365, Eduroam WLAN, REPOSIT open access repository, and an official online merchandise shop managed by UNICUM Merchandising. The digital teaching and learning stack is further supported by Data Literacy programs and an AI Network (KI-Netzwerk) for teaching, learning, and assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Campus Weiterbildung: Continuing education programs for professional development including seminars, certificate studies, and master's programs.
• HAW Hamburg E-Assessment
• HAW Hamburg Shop
• GründungsService

Products and services

• Bachelor Degree Programs Tuition-free undergraduate degree programs in applied sciences offered by HAW Hamburg across multiple faculties, available to prospective Bachelor students through the regular application process.
• Master Degree Programs Tuition-free graduate degree programs in applied sciences across the same eight faculties as the Bachelor's, accessible to applicants holding an undergraduate qualification.
• Campus Weiterbildung (Continuing Education) Fee-based continuing education and professional development offering seminars, certificate programs, and master's degrees aimed at working professionals, delivered from the Steindamm 103 postgraduate center and other HAW Hamburg locations.
• Dual Study Programs (Dual studieren) Cooperative Bachelor study programs that combine academic coursework at HAW Hamburg with practical employment at partner companies, enabling students to earn a degree while gaining work experience.
• Competence Center for Energy Transition (CC4E) Applied research services on energy transition topics, including energy system analysis, renewable generation, storage and conversion, heating, mobility, and industry applications, delivered to industry partners and public sector clients through simulation tools like Jarvis.
• Competence Center Health (CCG) Applied research services in health sciences covering preventive health, nutrition, and healthcare systems, supporting doctoral programs and industry collaboration with health sector partners.
• Competence Center Smart Systems in Society Applied research on smart systems and their societal applications, addressing how intelligent technologies can be deployed in social contexts through projects and partnerships.
• Shanghai-Hamburg College Dual Degree Programs Joint dual degree and e-learning programs run cooperatively between HAW Hamburg and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology under the Shanghai-Hamburg College, providing students with cross-border academic credentials.

Named customers4 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

Integration16 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UAS7coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational alliance of seven leading German universities of applied sciences promoting academic exchange, joint research, and internationalization initiatives.
• California State University Long Beach (CSULB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership under HAW goes USA initiative for student exchange, faculty mobility, and collaborative programs between Hamburg and California.
• Virginia TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership under HAW goes USA initiative for academic collaboration, research partnerships, and student exchange programs.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt and design focused partnership under HAW goes USA initiative for creative disciplines exchange.
• University of Rhode IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under HAW goes USA initiative for academic collaboration and student mobility.
• University of Shanghai for Science and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Shanghai-Hamburg College offering dual degree programs and e-learning projects (SHCneo, SHCneo+) between the two institutions.
• Partner Universities A-ZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of international partner universities across Europe (Erasmus+), USA (HAW goes USA), and Asia (including Shanghai-Hamburg College) for student exchange and research cooperation.
• Erasmus+ Partner InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean mobility program partners enabling student, faculty, and staff exchanges across EU countries.
• CARPE (Central Agency for Reverse Brain Drain to Europe)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork supporting academic mobility and the return of European researchers from North America.
• Competence Center for Energy Transition (CC4E)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with renewable energy industry partners including Erneuerbare Energien Hamburg (EEHH) and Fraunhofer research institutions.
• Competence Center Health (CCG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth research collaboration with industry partners across preventive health, nutrition, and healthcare systems.
• Microsoft CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud service provider for Microsoft Teams, Azure, and related educational technology platforms used for online teaching and examinations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Technische Universität Hamburg (TU Hamburg): Located in Hamburg and overlapping on engineering, informatics, and process technology programs. As a full technical university (vs. UAS), TU Hamburg offers research-intensive master's and doctoral programs and competes for the same Hamburg-based talent pool and industry partners.
• Technische Universität München (TUM): Germany's leading technical university with overlapping engineering, informatics, and applied research programs. As a higher-tier, research-intensive incumbent with stronger brand and funding, it competes with HAW Hamburg for top industry partnerships and international students.
• Universität Hamburg (UHH): Full-spectrum public university also based in Hamburg, offering overlapping programs in social sciences, informatics, and design/media. While broader in scope (includes humanities and traditional research university programs), it competes directly for Hamburg students and faculty.

Direct peers

• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): One of Germany's largest Universities of Applied Sciences and a UAS7 alliance peer of HAW Hamburg. Offers a comparable portfolio of applied bachelor and master programs, research competence centers, and internationalization initiatives, making it the closest structural peer.
• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar): Applied sciences university with comparable portfolio in engineering, business, and design, serving as a similar public-law UAS archetype in Germany with continuing education operations and industry transfer partnerships.
• Fachhochschule Dortmund (FH Dortmund): Major North Rhine-Westphalia UAS with similar applied sciences profile, comparable scale (~14,000 students), and overlapping program mix in engineering, design, and business. Directly comparable institutional archetype.
• Hochschule Bremen (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften Bremen): Another UAS7 member university in Northern Germany with a similar applied sciences mandate, scale (~9,000 students), and portfolio mix across engineering, social sciences, and design. Directly comparable regional UAS peer.
• Hochschule Darmstadt (h_da): Large German UAS with ~16,000 students and comparable applied sciences portfolio across engineering, design, business, and social sciences. Similar UAS7-style positioning and industry partnership model.
• Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT): Large Berlin-based University of Applied Sciences with comparable applied bachelor/master portfolio in engineering, design, and business. Similar public-law status, federal-state funding structure, and continuing education operations.
• Hochschule München (Munich University of Applied Sciences): One of the largest UAS institutions in Germany and UAS7 alliance peer. Comparable in applied sciences orientation, program breadth, industry partnerships, and continuing education operations, with similar scale of ~18,000 students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HAWHamburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hamburg-university-of-applied-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawhamburg
• Xx.com/HAW_Hamburg
• Facebookfacebook.com/HAW.Hamburg

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hamburg University of Applied Sciences