ZHAW Institute of Embedded Systems

What ZHAW Institute of Embedded Systems does

ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) is a public university of applied sciences headquartered in Winterthur, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, operating across eight schools: Applied Linguistics, Applied Psychology, Architecture/Design/Civil Engineering, Health Sciences, Life Sciences and Facility Management, School of Engineering, School of Management and Law, and Social Work. The institution delivers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs alongside continuing education (CAS, DAS, MAS), applied research collaborations, and consulting services to students, working professionals, and industry/government partners. Approximately 3,000 staff support teaching, research, continuing education, and business services, with physical campuses in Winterthur, Zürich, and Wädenswil.

The underlying technology stack is education-centric rather than commercial-product centric. ZHAW operates Moodle as its central learning management system, complemented by Mahara for e-portfolios, Kaltura Mediaspace for video, Webex for conferencing, Microsoft 365 for collaboration, Mentimeter for live polling, Leganto for literature management, and SMOWL CM for digital examination invigilation. The School of Engineering hosts the technical disciplines that would house embedded systems activity, though the sources do not specifically document an "Institute of Embedded Systems" by that name.

The business model combines three revenue streams: regulated tuition for degree programs (subsidized by the Canton of Zurich), fee-based continuing education programs for working professionals, and applied research and consulting contracts with industry and public-sector partners. As a public Cantonal institution, ZHAW is not structured for private equity or venture investment; governance is through a rectorate and board, with no disclosed ownership stakes. Marketing and student acquisition occur through the institutional website, social channels, the ZHAW Impact magazine, career fairs (Conecto ZHAW, Lange Nacht der Karriere), and partnerships with over 150 recruiting employers including ABB, Bosch, Deloitte, EY, and SIX Group.

Name

ZHAW Institute of Embedded Systems

Legal name

ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Website

https://zhaw.ch

Company type

Public

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

ZHAW is a public Swiss university of applied sciences in Winterthur, operating eight schools across three campuses to deliver practice-oriented degrees, continuing education, and applied research to students, professionals, and 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

Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied research
• University of applied sciences
• Continuing education
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Degree Program Tuition: Public university funded primarily through government subsidies and student tuition fees for bachelor, master, and doctoral programs
2. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from professional development courses, CAS, DAS, MAS certificates, and executive education programs
3. Research Services and Consulting: Applied research collaborations with industry partners, government agencies, and public sector organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ZHAW is a public university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) in Switzerland offering bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs across eight schools, continuing education certificates (CAS/DAS/MAS), applied research collaborations, and consulting services to industry and public sector partners. The institution operates campuses in Winterthur, Zurich, and Wädenswil with a digital learning infrastructure supporting on-site, blended, and online instruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Degree Programs
• Master Degree Programs
• Continuing Education Programs (CAS/DAS/MAS)
• Applied Research and Consulting Services Contract-based applied research, development, and consulting collaborations with industry partners, government agencies, and public sector organizations across multiple thematic areas, delivered through ZHAW research institutes and centers.
• Career Services Career coaching, CV checks, mock interviews, application dossier reviews, self-employment and start-up advisory, and career events such as Conecto ZHAW (annual career fair with over 150 companies) and Lange Nacht der Karriere, serving students and alumni.
• Doctoral Programs Doctoral study opportunities offered in cooperation within the Swiss university landscape, enabling research-focused candidates to pursue PhD-level qualifications.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• SwissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Swissuniversities, the umbrella organization of Swiss universities, providing network and policy coordination
• Swiss Accreditation CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation by the Swiss Accreditation Council ensuring quality standards for higher education
• EELISA European UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW participates in EELISA, a European University alliance promoting international cooperation and mobility
• S-ADCN (Swiss Academic Dual Career Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW is a member since 2020 of the network supporting dual career couples in Swiss academia
• AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS (Triple Crown)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool of Management and Law holds triple crown accreditation from top business school accrediting bodies

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hochschule Luzern (HSLU): HSLU is one of Switzerland's seven public Fachhochschulen, offering comparable bachelor, master, and continuing education programs with applied research focus. Directly competes for students in central Switzerland and corporate training clients nationally.
• SUPSI (Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana): SUPSI is the Italian-speaking Swiss Fachhochschule with identical public-university mandate, applied research model, and continuing-education structure. Direct structural peer despite regional language difference.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Kalaidos is one of Switzerland's recognized Fachhochschulen offering bachelor, master, and continuing-education programs with practice orientation. Operates under federal accreditation but private sponsorship, making it a structural comparable with funding-model variance.
• Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW): FHNW is a fellow Swiss Fachhochschule with the same public Cantonal funding model, multi-campus structure, and practice-oriented bachelor/master/continuing-education portfolio. Operates as near-substitute competitor for Swiss students and corporate training clients.
• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS): FFHS is the Swiss distance-learning Fachhochschule, fully online and federal-accredited, offering bachelor, master, and continuing-education programs. Comparable on degree-granting credentials but differentiated by online-first delivery model.
• Ostschweizer Fachhochschule (OST): OST (formed from FHS St.Gallen and HTW Chur) is another Swiss public university of applied sciences with comparable degree structure, applied research mandate, and Cantonal funding. Competes in eastern Switzerland and overlapping engineering/management domains.
• Berner Fachhochschule (BFH): BFH is another of Switzerland's leading public universities of applied sciences, with similar eight-department structure, practice-orientation, applied research model, and Cantonal funding model. Most direct structural comparable to ZHAW.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich is one of two Swiss federal institutes of technology and the dominant higher-education brand in the Zurich region. Overlaps with ZHAW on engineering and applied research, but operates at a research-intensive rather than teaching-focused tier.
• University of Zurich: University of Zurich is the largest Swiss university, competing with ZHAW for Zurich-region students, academic staff, and joint research funding. Operates as research-tier university with broader program portfolio than ZHAW's applied-science focus.
• University of St. Gallen (HSG): HSG is a leading Swiss public university focused on management, economics, law, and social sciences with strong continuing education. Competes with ZHAW's School of Management and Law on Bachelor/Master, MBA, and executive education programs nationally and internationally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/zhawch
• Facebookfacebook.com/zhaw.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/876843
• Instagraminstagram.com/zhaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ZHAW Institute of Embedded Systems