HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts

What HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts does

HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a public state university in Lower Saxony, Germany, founded in 1971 and funded by the State of Lower Saxony. The institution operates three campuses — Hildesheim (administrative headquarters), Göttingen, and Holzminden — hosting seven faculties and 42 degree programs serving approximately 6,320 students across bachelor's and master's levels in engineering, design, health sciences, social work, resource management, and business. As a German public university, HAWK charges minimal to no tuition, with revenue sourced from state appropriations, third-party research grants, and supplementary programs such as the Deutschlandstipendium donor-funded scholarship (173 recipients at €300/month from 106 donors in 2025/26). The institution also generates ancillary revenue through continuing education subsidiaries (HAWK plus, HAWK Weiterbildung), cultural heritage services (Hornemann Institut), and a structured entrepreneurship and startup support program.

The core technology and applied research footprint is anchored in three research priority areas: Laser and Plasma Technology (including a femtosecond laser program that produced HAWK's first ERC Advanced Grant for the FEMTOMICS project, ~€2.5M), Green Engineering and Ecosystems, and Regional Development – Education – Participation. HAWK supports approximately 90 active doctoral projects via the Promotionskolleg (Doctoral College) and operates a publicly accessible third-party funded research project database. Student-facing technology infrastructure is conventional for German higher education: the HISinOne-based HAWK-Studienportal for application, enrollment, examination, and grade management; Stud.IP as the learning management system; and the HAWKI intranet plus Wiki for internal collaboration. The distribution model is direct enrollment at one of three campuses, supplemented by the joint Gesundheitscampus Göttingen with Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) for health sciences programs and an International Office supporting inbound and outbound exchange. Marketing relies on on-campus information events (Infotage, Schnupperstudium, Mappenberatung), digital channels (hawk.de, faculty-specific Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/YouTube accounts), regional outreach (IdeenExpo, Maker Faire, school visits), and earned media through the HAWK Newsportal. Customer segments are prospective and enrolled students (primary), regional industry/public-sector/civil-society partners for applied research and knowledge transfer, scholarship program donors, and international exchange participants.

Name

HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Legal name

HAWK Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst

Website

https://hawk.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts is a public German state university in Lower Saxony operating three campuses (Hildesheim, Holzminden, Göttingen) that delivers applied higher education across 42 programs and 7 faculties to approximately 6,320 students, with applied research focus on laser/plasma technology, green engineering, and regional development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Applied Sciences)

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), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Applied sciences education
• Higher education programs
• Applied research
• Doctoral college programs
• Student scholarship support

Headquarters

HQ city

Hildesheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HAWK delivers application-oriented higher education and applied research across 42 bachelor's and master's degree programs at three campuses in Lower Saxony (Hildesheim, Holzminden, Göttingen), organized into seven faculties spanning engineering, design, health, social work, resource management, business, and construction/preservation. Supporting teaching and research are doctoral programs through the Promotionskolleg, joint health-sciences programs with Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, scholarship support, and an entrepreneurship program for student founders. The university funds and coordinates externally financed research in laser/plasma technology, green engineering, and regional development.

Product overview

HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts is a higher education institution offering study programs across seven faculties at three locations (Hildesheim, Holzminden, Göttingen) to approximately 6,320 students. Its core educational offering is structured around 42 study programs spanning fields including engineering, design, health, social work, resource management, and business. Supporting the academic mission are digital platforms: the HISinOne study portal for student administration, Stud.IP for course management, and an internal intranet. Research infrastructure includes the Promotionskolleg doctorate college (supervising ~90 projects), a Germany Scholarship program supporting 173 students, an Entrepreneurship program for startup development, the Hornemann Institut for conservation studies, and the HAWK open refugee integration program. Research is organized into three focus areas: Laser and Plasma Technology, Green Engineering and Ecosystems, and Regional Development – Education – Participation, with a publicly documented project portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gesundheitscampus Göttingen: Cooperation between HAWK and Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) for health sciences programs including Hebammenwissenschaft, Medizintechnik, and Therapiewissenschaften.
• HAWK Promotionskolleg
• Hornemann Institut

Products and services

• HAWK Study Portal (HISinOne) Integrated digital portal enabling students to manage applications, enrollment, examination registrations, grades, module overviews, and personal data across the student lifecycle.
• HAWK Bachelor and Master Degree Programs (42 programs across 7 faculties) Core academic offering: 42 bachelor's and master's degree programs across seven faculties and three campuses (Hildesheim, Göttingen, Holzminden), with full-time, part-time, dual, and practice-integrated study formats for prospective and current students.
• HAWK Promotionskolleg (Doctoral College) Doctoral research and qualification program supporting ~90 active projects across HAWK's faculties, providing interdisciplinary qualification, coaching, and networking for doctoral candidates.
• Deutschlandstipendium (Germany Scholarship Program) Talent-pipeline scholarship program offering 300 EUR/month to talented students, jointly funded by ~106 donors (corporations such as Sartorius, Ottobock, Sparkasse, plus alumni, foundations, and private individuals) and the German federal government.
• Gesundheitscampus Göttingen (Joint Health Sciences Campus) Joint health-sciences campus combining HAWK's academic programs with Universitätsmedizin Göttingen's clinical facilities, delivering programs in midwifery, medical technology, nursing, therapeutic sciences, and social work in healthcare with simulation-based training.
• HAWK Entrepreneurship & Business Founding Support Interdisciplinary program supporting students and researchers in developing business ideas, building business models, and founding companies, offering grants, mentoring, maker spaces, and networking events.
• Hornemann Institut Center for cultural heritage preservation and conservation studies, providing specialized continuing education and research in conservation science.
• HAWK Weiterbildung / HAWK plus Continuing Education Continuing-education and professional-development unit delivering lifelong-learning and student-support programs.
• HAWK open – Studienprogramm für Geflüchtete Refugee-integration program that supports prospective and enrolled refugee students with orientation, application, and continuation of studies at HAWK.
• Level Up Mentoring Program Mentoring program supporting female master's students and doctoral candidates through academic and professional development.
• Stud.IP Learning Management System Learning management system supporting course enrollment, lecture directories, and access to learning materials for students and faculty at HAWK.
• HAWK Research Projects Portal (Drittmittel Project Database) Central platform documenting third-party funded (Drittmittel) research projects across HAWK's three priority research areas with project status, funding sources, and budgets.
• Dual and Practice-Integrated Degree Programs Applied-sciences degree programs offered in dual, practice-integrated (Praxisverbund), part-time, and full-time study formats combining classroom teaching with workplace training.
• Applied Research in Laser and Plasma Technology Applied research conducted at HAWK in laser and plasma technology, including the ERC-funded FEMTOMICS femtosecond-laser project, partnering with the Fraunhofer Anwendungszentrum on plasma and photonics.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operation of the Gesundheitscampus Göttingen, combining HAWK's academic teaching programs with UMG's clinical facilities and medical expertise. Programs include midwifery science, medical technology, nursing (dual), therapeutic sciences, and social work in healthcare. The campus features simulation labs and skills labs for hands-on training in healthcare disciplines.
• Fraunhofer Anwendungszentrum (Fraunhofer Application Center for Plasma and Photonics)majorTechnology or IntegrationA Fraunhofer application center focused on plasma and photonics technology, embedded within or closely partnered with HAWK's research infrastructure, supporting industrial transfer of laser and plasma research applications developed at the university.
• Zukunftszentrum Holzminden Höxter (ZZHH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional innovation center (Zukunftszentrum) addressing demographic change challenges in the Holzminden-Höxter region. HAWK serves as a core academic partner contributing research expertise on regional innovation, aging societies, and rural development themes.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Technische Hochschule Köln (TH Köln): One of Germany's largest HAWs with 12 faculties spanning engineering, computer science, applied natural sciences, and cultural sciences. Larger-scale incumbent in the German HAW segment with broader program portfolio.
• Technische Universität Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig): Major Lower Saxony technical university with strong applied engineering and natural sciences focus. Direct competitor in regional engineering talent and research funding landscape.
• Georg-August-Universität Göttingen: Comprehensive public research university sharing Göttingen city with HAWK's campus. Former cooperation partner through Gesundheitscampus; competes for talent and research grants in the same regional ecosystem.
• Hochschule München (HM): One of the largest German universities of applied sciences, hosting 17,000+ students with wide program portfolio. Comparable applied-sciences model at substantially larger scale.
• Leibniz Universität Hannover: Major Lower Saxony research university offering comprehensive bachelor through PhD programs. As state-funded comprehensive university, competes for students, faculty, and research grants that HAWK also targets.

Direct peers

• Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola (THGA): Private, state-recognized University of Applied Sciences in Bochum with technical focus, particularly mining, mechanical engineering, and applied sciences. Comparable technical HAW mission with applied research orientation.
• Hochschule Bremen: Public University of Applied Sciences in northern Germany with applied programs across engineering, social work, design, and health. Comparable HAW mission, faculty structure, and student scale.
• Hochschule Hannover: Public University of Applied Sciences in Hannover, Lower Saxony, offering applied bachelor and master programs across engineering, design, business, and social sciences. Direct regional peer sharing HAWK's state funding model and HAW mission.
• Hochschule Osnabrück: Large HAW in Lower Saxony with engineering, business, agriculture, and design faculties. Comparable scale, similar applied research focus, and competing for regional talent.
• Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften: Lower Saxony-based HAW with multiple campuses offering applied bachelor and master programs in engineering, business, and social work. Closest competitor in state funding allocation and regional student recruitment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUwh3tz6KLFBw7jPOLG5igA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hawkgestaltung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/hawk-fakultaet-gestaltung
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawk.gestaltung
• Xx.com/newsroom_hawk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 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 HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts