University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland

Name

University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland

Legal name

HES-SO Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale

Website

https://hes-so.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HES-SO is a Swiss public applied sciences network operating 28 institutions across seven Western Swiss cantons, delivering 43 Bachelor and 25-27 Master programs in six domains (Design, Economy, Engineering, Music, Health, Social Work) to students, industry research partners, and continuing-education professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Delemont

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HES-SO is a public university network providing higher education and applied research across 28 institutions in Western Switzerland. It offers 43 Bachelor's programs and 25 Master's programs spanning six academic domains (Design and Visual Arts, Economy and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, Social Work), alongside continuing education qualifications and industry-collaborative applied research.

Product overview

HES-SO (Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale) is a network of 28 higher education institutions across seven cantons in Western Switzerland, offering 43 Bachelor programs and 27 Master programs. The institution operates through six domains: Design and Visual Arts, Economy and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, and Social Work. Programs include undergraduate and graduate degrees, continuing education (CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA), and applied research and innovation activities. The Master in Life Sciences is jointly offered with FHNW, ZHAW, and BFH, demonstrating cross-institutional collaboration. Research is supported by the Research and Impulse Fund (FRI) with domain-specific regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Programs Undergraduate degree programs across six domains (Design and Visual Arts, Economy and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, and Social Work), offered across 28 higher education institutions in Western Switzerland. Designed for prospective students seeking practice-oriented higher education leading to a professionally recognized Bachelor's degree.
• Master Programs Postgraduate degree programs including 25 specialized Master's across various disciplines for advanced professional qualifications. The Master in Life Sciences is jointly offered by four Swiss universities (HES-SO, FHNW, ZHAW, BFH), with HES-SO Master coordinating cross-institutional programs. Aimed at students holding a Bachelor's degree seeking advanced specialization.
• Continuing Education Professional development programs including Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS), Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS), Master of Advanced Studies (MAS), and Executive MBA (EMBA) qualifications for lifelong learning. Requires a Bachelor or equivalent degree for admission. Targeted at working professionals and career advancers.
• Applied Research and Innovation (R&I) Applied research activities organized across domain-specific institutes and research projects, supported by the Research and Impulse Fund (FRI). Services include collaborative research, technology transfer, and innovation development for industry partners, public organizations, and research consortia.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• UNITA - Universitas MontiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHES-SO is part of the UNITA alliance of European universities. The partnership enables student and researcher exchanges, joint educational programs, international mobility, and collaborative projects like RECIPES (internationalization of study programs) and Advanced Tech Transfer Grants supporting interuniversity innovation projects.
• Paléo Festival NyonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHES-SO has been innovation partner of the Paléo Festival since 2010 and participant since 2005. The collaboration involves interdisciplinary student projects creating scenography and interactive animations for each festival edition with different annual themes.
• Horizon Europe PEARL ConsortiumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year EU-funded research initiative (Horizon Europe PEARL project) to develop flexible perovskite solar cells with carbon electrodes. HES-SO is one of ten European partners, achieving milestones including 21% efficiency on flexible substrates and 2,000+ hours stability testing.
• Shiv Nadar Institute of EminencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with Shiv Nadar Institute of Eminence in India to develop methods for transforming 'forever chemicals' using blue LED light technology, achieving over 93% conversion rates.
• Université Transilvania de BrasovminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for the RECIPES project Staff Week (February 2026) focused on internationalization of study programs. Part of the UNITA alliance activities.
• MovetiacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSwiss agency for mobility and exchange supporting UNITA alliance projects. Provides funding and support for internationalization initiatives including RECIPES project and various mobility programs.
• Universidad de ZaragozaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Zaragoza offers free Spanish language summer courses at Jaca for UNITA alliance students, with 50 hours of training over two weeks per session.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Bern: Traditional cantonal university operating in the same intercantonal higher-education ecosystem. Competes for graduate students, research grants, and academic talent; serves as a traditional-academic counterpart within Western Switzerland's higher-education landscape.
• ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship federal research university with broad STEM coverage. Not a UAS, but competes for the same talent, research funding, and industry partnerships in Western Switzerland; serves as the higher-tier option for top students who might otherwise attend HES-SO.
• EPFL: Swiss federal institute of technology in Lausanne, operating within HES-SO's primary catchment area. Competes directly for engineering, computer science, and applied research talent; overlaps significantly with HES-SO Engineering and Architecture domain.

Emerging players

• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS): Switzerland's leading distance-learning UAS. Comparable applied degree offerings in IT, economics, and engineering but differentiated by remote delivery model; relevant peer for online continuing-education demand.
• Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences: Privately operated Swiss UAS focused on health, economics, and music. Smaller and specialized but competes for the same continuing-education and Bachelor/Master students in overlapping Swiss cantons.

Direct peers

• University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW): Fourth partner in the joint MLS program and another major Swiss UAS. Directly comparable in scale, structure, and applied-research focus across German-speaking Northwestern Switzerland.
• Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH): Partner institution in the joint Master in Life Sciences (MLS) program. Sister Swiss UAS with comparable structure across multiple schools in the German-speaking region; directly comparable in mission, funding model, and program portfolio.
• SUPSI - University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland: Italian-speaking Switzerland's UAS counterpart. Operates the same federal mandate of practice-based education and applied research; directly comparable in structure and serves as HES-SO's linguistic-region peer within the Swiss UAS system.
• Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW): Partner in the joint MLS program and one of Switzerland's largest UAS by enrollment. Directly comparable applied-research university with similar six-domain structure and industry partnership model.
• OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences: UAS formed from merger of FHS St.Gallen and HSR Rapperswil in 2020. Closely comparable institution in size, applied-research portfolio, and multi-school governance model across Eastern Switzerland cantons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hes_so
• Facebookfacebook.com/hesso
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1057463

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries29 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland