University Fund Wageningen

What University Fund Wageningen does

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is a Dutch public university and applied research institution headquartered at Droevendaalsesteeg 4, Wageningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1918 as an agricultural college, it merged with agricultural research institutes in 1998 to form its current integrated structure, comprising two legal entities — Wageningen University and Stichting Wageningen Research — operating under the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. WUR delivers bachelor, master (40+ programmes including Sustainable Business and Innovation, European Master Earth System Sciences as a double degree, and Food Technology), Engineering Doctorate, PhD, and professional education programmes to approximately 14,000 students from 120 nationalities, supported by an integrated campus of laboratories, experimental farms, and greenhouses.

Revenue is generated through four streams: Dutch government appropriations, regulated student tuition, national and international research grants and contracts (including NWO and EU frameworks, with the HyNITROGEN consortium contributing a €20.3M research programme), and commercialization of research outputs as products, services, and licences. Distribution is primarily on-campus in Wageningen, supplemented by online/hybrid delivery (Master Food Technology online, Online Open Days) and international double-degree programmes with BOKU Vienna, SLU Uppsala, and University of Hohenheim Stuttgart through the EnvEuro consortium, as well as the ELLS network of European life sciences universities.

Name

University Fund Wageningen

Legal name

Wageningen University & Research

Website

https://wur.nl

Company type

Public

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wageningen University & Research is a Dutch public university and applied research institution offering bachelor, master, PhD, and professional programmes in life sciences, food systems, sustainability, and environmental sciences to 14,000 students from 120 nationalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Applied Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), EdTech & Digital Learning Policy Research (EDADADAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Life sciences research
• Applied agricultural research
• Sustainable food systems
• Graduate degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wageningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a public university in the Netherlands, WUR receives substantial government funding for education and research activities from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW)
2. Tuition Fees: Student tuition fees for bachelor, master, and professional education programs. Two-year masters are registered as one-year programs with WUR compensating for the second year of performance grants
3. Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from national and international research programs including NWO, EU frameworks, and commissioned research for government and industry
4. Knowledge Products and Services: Commercialization of research through products, services, and licensing as described in 'Producten & diensten'

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wageningen University & Research is a Dutch public university that delivers higher education and applied research in life sciences, sustainable food systems, biodiversity, climate, and the biobased economy. It sells Bachelor, Master (40+ programmes), Engineering Doctorate (EngD), and PhD programmes, plus commercialized research outputs and professional continuing education through its campus in Wageningen and international partner networks.

Product overview

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) operates as an integrated university and research institution offering a portfolio of educational programmes and research services. The core educational offerings include Bachelor programmes, Master programmes (with 40+ specializations including Sustainable Business and Innovation, Earth System Sciences, Food Technology, Climate Studies), Engineering Doctorate (EngD), and PhD programmes managed through the Hora Finita platform. Research activities span applied research domains including Bioveterinary, Livestock, Marine, Environmental, Plant, Social & Economic, Food & Biobased, and Food Safety, with outputs commercialized through Products & Services. Supporting platforms include MyWorkspace (employee portal), Osiris (academic management for lecturers), Brand Portal (brand asset management), and Hora Finita (PhD candidate management). WUR also provides continuing education for professionals. The institution has been ranked as the best university in the Netherlands 21 times by students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor Programmes

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000 students from 120 nationalities enrolled
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• EnvEuro Consortium (Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, SLU Uppsala, University of Hohenheim Stuttgart)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025European double-degree program 'European Master Earth System Sciences' where students study at WUR and partner universities, receiving two diplomas. Introductory days held in Vienna, with specialization options in water resources, soil resources, climate change, and ecosystems/biodiversity.
• HyNITROGEN ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Large consortium for sustainable production of nitrogen-containing chemicals with 20.3 million euros funding. WUR contributes research expertise in green nitrogen chemistry as part of this major initiative.
• ELLS (EuroLeague for Life Sciences) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of leading European life sciences universities including Copenhagen, Sweden (SLU), Stuttgart (Hohenheim), and Vienna (BOKU). Provides international academic network and exchange opportunities.
• Food Valley Protein CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumna Ruth Amoako-Adusei plans to join this community to connect with the global plant-based food ecosystem, demonstrating alumni connection to industry network.
• Royal IHCminorOthersWUR alumnus Derk te Bokkel serves as CEO. Royal IHC is a high-tech systems company specializing in dredging and offshore technology. The company offers internships for WUR students in business administration and agrotechnology.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU): Austrian specialised university focused on renewable resources, life sciences, and agricultural sciences, and a formal EnvEuro double-degree partner with WUR. BOKU competes for European life-sciences students and research grants.
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU): Swedish specialised research university in agricultural and life sciences and another EnvEuro and ELLS partner of WUR. Operates with similar multi-faculty life-sciences focus across animal, plant, environmental, and food domains.
• Technical University of Denmark (DTU): European specialised research university with applied life sciences, food, and biotechnology programmes. Targets similar international STEM and life-sciences students and competes for Horizon Europe funding.
• University of Hohenheim: German specialised research university in agriculture, natural sciences, and economics, and EnvEuro/ELLS partner of WUR. Comparable portfolio of life-sciences research and graduate programmes serving European and international students.
• ETH Zurich: Swiss federal research university specialising in STEM and applied sciences including food science, environmental engineering, and biotechnology. ETH Zurich operates a single campus, similar Dutch/European public funding model influence, comparable life-sciences research output, and competes for the same international student pool as WUR.

Others

• FoodValley NL: Dutch agrifood innovation cluster headquartered in the Wageningen region that convenes corporates, startups, and WUR researchers. Serves as an industry-adjacent ecosystem partner and talent/Knowledge exchange channel for WUR commercialisation.
• Royal IHC: Dutch maritime technology company whose CEO (Derk te Bokkel) is a WUR alumnus and which offers internships to WUR students. Industrial partner rather than direct academic peer, but illustrates the employer-corporate ecosystem WUR serves.

Broad incumbents

• UC Davis: Major U.S. public research university with leading agriculture, food science, and veterinary medicine programmes. Competes globally for talent and grants at WUR's specialisation areas and operates a similar land-grant research-and-extension model adapted to the Dutch/European context.
• Cornell University (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences): U.S. Ivy-adjacent research university with a leading college of agriculture and life sciences offering comparable graduate programmes in food, environment, and sustainability. Competes globally for international graduate students and research prestige.
• University of Copenhagen (Faculty of SCIENCE / FOOD): A larger Danish research university with significant life-sciences and food-science research capacity and ELLS-network membership. Competes for the same international life-sciences students but as part of a much broader academic portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXaytnClAXlaqIngyQh-pWg
• Facebookfacebook.com/WUR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/wageningenuniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/uniwageningen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about University Fund Wageningen