HAN University of Applied Sciences

What HAN University of Applied Sciences does

HAN University of Applied Sciences (HAN) is a publicly funded Dutch University of Applied Sciences (hogeschool) headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands, with a secondary campus in Nijmegen at Groenewoudseweg 1 (planned to be vacated in 2026 after 60 years). The institution delivers higher professional education (hbo) across bachelor, master, associate degree, and post-hbo continuing-education formats in full-time, part-time, and dual modes. It organizes academic activity around three thematic pillars — Smart, Clean, and Social — with applied research concentrated on the energy transition (hydrogen, cleantech, sustainability), educational innovation, and social/health domains, delivered through lectoraten (applied research professorships) including Eigentijds Beoordelen en Beslissen and Kwaliteiten van Leraren.

The institution runs a Digitaal Leerplatform (DLP) anchored on D2L Brightspace as the primary LMS and integrated with eJournal (portfolio) and FeedbackFruits (interactive feedback suite). Assessment infrastructure spans ANS digital testing, Teleform/Contest automated paper-based MCQ grading, a Videotoetsing video/audio assessment platform adopted by 30+ programs, and Handin with Ouriginal plagiarism detection. Student lifecycle and access are managed through Osiris (student information system), HANaccount (single sign-on with MFA via Microsoft Authenticator), Microsoft 365 (Teams, Outlook, OneDrive), and HAN-CERT for in-house ICT security incident response. The HAN Insite intranet, MyX (Xedule) scheduling app, and SURFfilesender round out the digital fabric.

HAN's revenue derives from Dutch government block grants (allocated on enrollment and completion metrics) plus statutory tuition fees, institutional tuition for non-EU students, professional/continuing education fees, and applied research contracts. The customer base spans three primary segments — prospective students transitioning from secondary school (HAVO/VWO) or vocational (MBO) education, working professionals seeking upskilling via part-time/dual study, and regional industry and government partners requiring talent pipelines and workforce development. Industry integration is formalized through the Cleantech Park Arnhem living-laboratory partnership serving 140 cleantech companies and 3,000 workers, and through NWO-funded hydrogen ecosystem programs H2Life (€4.41M) and HELIX-West (€4.45M) addressing a projected shortfall of roughly 38,000 skilled green-hydrogen professionals.

Name

HAN University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

HAN University of Applied Sciences

Website

https://han.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HAN University of Applied Sciences is a publicly funded Dutch hogeschool operating dual campuses in Arnhem and Nijmegen, delivering bachelor, master, associate degree, and post-hbo programs alongside applied research through lectoraten, serving students, working professionals, and regional industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Higher professional education
• Applied research services
• University of applied sciences
• Continuing professional development
• Corporate training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 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: HAN University of Applied Sciences is a publicly funded Dutch higher education institution (hogeschool). Its primary revenue derives from government funding allocated based on student enrollment numbers and completion rates, supplemented by tuition fees paid by students (collegegeld). The institution also generates revenue through professional services, applied research contracts with industry and government, and continuing education programs for working professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HAN University of Applied Sciences is a Dutch public hogeschool providing higher professional education (hbo) through full-time, part-time, and dual bachelor and associate degree programs, master degrees, and post-hbo continuing education courses. It also conducts applied research through its network of lectoraten and delivers corporate training, internships, and knowledge development services for regional industry and public sector partners. Revenue is primarily derived from government funding tied to enrollment, statutory tuition fees, and industry-sponsored research contracts.

Product overview

HAN University of Applied Sciences is a Dutch higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs (full-time, part-time, dual, associate degree, bachelor, master, post-hbo) and applied research services. The core technology infrastructure centers on the Digitaal Leerplatform (DLP) — a unified digital learning ecosystem consisting of Brightspace LMS as the primary platform, integrated with eJournal for portfolio management and FeedbackFruits for interactive learning tools. This DLP is supplemented by assessment tools (ANS for digital testing, Teleform/Contest for paper-based multiple-choice tests, Videotoetsing for video assessments), assignment management (Handin with Ouriginal plagiarism detection), and student information systems (Osiris, MyX). All students and staff receive Microsoft 365 accounts providing Teams, Outlook/HAN-mail, OneDrive, and productivity applications. Additional specialized tools support video production (Clipchamp, Weblecture, Knowledgeclip studio, Podcast studio), accessibility (ReadSpeaker, Speaksee), and secure file transfer (SURFfilesender). The institution also operates lectorates (research centers) and ICT support services including HAN-CERT for security incident response.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Higher Professional Education Programs (Bachelor, Associate Degree, Master) Full-time, part-time (deeltijd), and dual (duaal) higher professional education programs in multiple disciplines, leading to recognized Dutch hbo bachelor degrees, associate degrees, and master degrees. Designed for secondary school graduates, MBO diploma holders, and working professionals seeking formal qualifications.
• Post-HBO Continuing Education and Short Courses Continuing professional development offerings including post-hbo programs, modules, and short courses for working professionals seeking to upskill or reskill. Marketed via dedicated course finder filtering by start date and course level.
• Applied Research and Lectoraten Services Applied research delivered through a network of lectoraten (research chairs), addressing real-world problems for industry and government partners. Includes workforce development projects (e.g., H2Life, HELIX-West hydrogen transition initiatives) funded under the NWO National Growth Fund programme GroenvermogenNL.
• Corporate Training and Employee Development (Scholing van medewerkers) Custom corporate training, professional development, and continuing education programs tailored for employer organizations seeking to upskill or credential their workforce. Distinct from the consumer-facing degree programs.
• Internship and Graduation Placement Services Coordination of student internships and graduation projects for regional employers, public sector organizations, and industry partners seeking access to HAN talent pipelines for project-based or research-based engagements.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration25 records

AI capability9 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• H2Life (Eastern Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026H2Life is a hydrogen innovation ecosystem project covering Eastern Netherlands, awarded €4.41 million under the NWO National Growth Fund programme GroenvermogenNL. The project aims to develop regional hydrogen innovation ecosystems and address a projected shortfall of nearly 38,000 skilled professionals needed for the green hydrogen transition. HAN participates by establishing learning communities across experimentation sites involving industry, education, research institutions, and government to accelerate workforce development.
• HELIX-West (Western Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026HELIX-West is a hydrogen innovation ecosystem project covering Western Netherlands, awarded €4.45 million under the NWO National Growth Fund programme GroenvermogenNL. Like H2Life, it establishes learning communities across multiple experimentation sites to accelerate workforce development for the hydrogen economy. HAN participates alongside industry, education, research institutions, and government stakeholders.
• Cleantech Park ArnhemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleantech Park is a 90-hectare industrial campus in Arnhem hosting around 140 companies and 3,000 workers across hydrogen, battery recycling, electric mobility, and circular manufacturing. HAN University of Applied Sciences functions as the educational anchor institution, integrating industrial development with higher education and applied research. The park narrowed its focus to cleantech sectors approximately 15 years ago and serves as a 'living laboratory' for the Netherlands' energy transition, with HAN embedded as the knowledge partner.
• VernieuwenderwijsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVernieuwenderwijs collaborated with HAN's research team Kwaliteiten van Leraren to develop Leerflow, a design tool for formatief handelen (formative action). This partnership was co-funded by the RAAK-PRO subsidy from SIA (Stichting Innovatie Alliantie), supporting applied research into teacher professionalization.
• Schools and Educational Institutions (Formatief Evalueren Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Formatief Evalueren project involved collaboration with Alberdingk Thijm College, Aloysius College, Beekdal Lyceum Arnhem, Mondial College (Meeuwse Acker), SLO (Nationaal expertisecentrum leerplanontwikkeling), Open Universiteit, Universiteit Maastricht, Universiteit Wageningen, Hogeschool Utrecht, and Phronese for research into formative assessment practices across PO, VO, and HBO levels.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avans University of Applied Sciences: Dutch hogeschool with campuses in Breda, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Tilburg. Directly comparable on size, polytechnic positioning, applied-research centers, and reliance on Dutch government funding mechanisms.
• Saxion University of Applied Sciences: Dutch hogeschool with campuses in Deventer, Enschede, and Apeldoorn — the closest geographic peer in Eastern Netherlands. Offers similar bachelor, master, and applied-research portfolios and competes for the same regional student pool and industry partners as HAN.
• Fontys University of Applied Sciences: One of the largest Dutch hogescholen, headquartered in Eindhoven with multiple campuses. Comparable in scale, polytechnic scope, lectoraten-driven applied research, and government funding model — a direct structural peer to HAN.
• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences: Dutch hogeschool formed from the merger of NHL and Stenden, with campuses across the northern Netherlands. Comparable in applied-research focus, international student programs, and lectoraten-driven innovation model.
• Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool Rotterdam): Large Rotterdam-based hogeschool offering bachelor and master programs with strong applied-research and urban-industry integration. Closely comparable scale and government-funded hogeschool model to HAN.
• Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA): One of the largest Dutch hogescholen, based in Amsterdam with extensive industry partnerships in the Randstad. Directly comparable on scale, applied-research breadth, and dual-campus polytechnic operations.
• Utrecht University of Applied Sciences (HU): Central-Netherlands hogeschool with a strong research profile and similar lectoraat-based applied research structure. Already a recognized research collaborator of HAN (Formatief Evalueren project).
• The Hague University of Applied Sciences: Dutch hogeschool with comparable size, international student orientation, and applied-research portfolio. Competes with HAN for working professionals and international enrollment.

Broad incumbents

• University of Twente: Public research university in Enschede (Eastern Netherlands) with strong technical/scientific research orientation. Overlaps with HAN on regional talent and on applied-tech collaboration, but operates a research-university (WO) model rather than the hogeschool model.
• Radboud University: Public research university in Nijmegen, sharing a city with HAN's secondary campus. Comparable on Nijmegen-area employer partnerships and graduate talent flow, but differentiated by WO research-university positioning and degree-granting scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TVHAN
• Facebookfacebook.com/HANUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/12219
• Instagraminstagram.com/han.nl
• Xx.com/hannl

Compliance1 record

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 HAN University of Applied Sciences