HEIG-VD

What HEIG-VD does

HEIG-VD (Haute École d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud) is a public university of applied sciences located in Yverdon-les-Bains, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, operating since 1971 as a member of the HES-SO network (28 institutions). It delivers nine Bachelor programs across engineering disciplines (energy and environmental engineering, electrical engineering, microtechnics, industrial systems, industrial engineering and management, computer science and communication systems, territorial engineering, media engineering) and business management (Économie d'entreprise), plus Master's, continuing education (CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA — 179 credentials delivered in 2023–2024), and integration programs such as the Preparatory Semester and INTREF for refugees.

The institution runs an applied research and innovation apparatus organized into institutes including the Institut des Énergies (IE, ~65 collaborators, founded June 2023), COMATEC, REDS, IICT, IAI, IIDE, INSIT, and MEI, plus thematic competence groups. Outputs include digital twins for electrical grids (TwinDiGrid), grid-forming inverter prototypes (FORMIDABLE), a hydrogen vehicle demonstrator with Neology/Multigas, an AR biodiversity application (BioSentiers), and AI-driven monitoring platforms (Hydroscan, URBASAN, HeartCare, Faceshield). The Y-Security Pole hosts the Black Alps cybersecurity conference (~600 experts annually).

Revenue comes from three streams: cantonal and federal public funding plus tuition (CHF 700/sem for Swiss students, CHF 1,050/sem for foreigners, plus a CHF 150 registration fee), continuing-education fees, and contracted applied research and development (Ra&D) with industrial partners and public entities such as Romande Énergie, Groupe E, Services Industriels de Lausanne/Genève, Imperix, and Neology. The institution is embedded in the Y-Parc Swiss Technopole and operates the Y-Start startup incubator, channeling research output into spin-offs and commercialization.

Name

HEIG-VD

Legal name

Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud

Website

https://heig-vd.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HEIG-VD is a public Swiss university of applied sciences in Yverdon-les-Bains offering nine Bachelor programs, Master's, and continuing education, operating applied research institutes (energy, cybersecurity, microtechnology, media) in partnership with industry and the HES-SO network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / University of Applied Sciences

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Learning Experience Design (LXD) & UX for Learning (EDAGAKAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Power Electronics & Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) (EDAOABAH)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied research
• Engineering programs
• Continuing education
• University of applied sciences

Headquarters

HQ city

Yverdon-les-bains

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Registration Fees (Public Funding Model): As a public Swiss higher education institution (HES-SO), HEIG-VD is primarily funded through student tuition fees and public cantonal/federal funding. Tuition fees are CHF 700/semester for Swiss students and CHF 1,050/semester for foreign students, plus a CHF 150 registration fee and annual contributions of CHF 200 (full-time) or CHF 150 (part-time/employment).
2. Applied Research and Development (Ra&D) Contracts: HEIG-VD generates revenue through commissioned applied research and development projects with industrial partners, public institutions, and SMEs. The research centers collaborate with companies, public entities, and academic institutions on innovation projects.
3. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from continuing education including CAS, DAS, MAS, and EMBA programs, and short courses offered to professionals. Programs include specialized certificates in areas such as digital HR, agile organizations, mobility planning, clinical affairs, and leadership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

HEIG-VD is a public university of applied sciences offering nine Bachelor degree programs, Master programs, and continuing education (CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA) across engineering and business management. It operates multiple research institutes conducting applied research and development projects in partnership with industrial partners, public institutions, and SMEs, supported by a startup incubator and innovation programs. Its core activities span teaching, applied research contracted with industry, and technology transfer to the regional economy.

Product overview

HEIG-VD (Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud) is a university of applied sciences offering comprehensive educational programs and research services. The institution provides nine Bachelor degree programs spanning engineering (energy, electrical, microtechnics, industrial systems, territorial engineering, media engineering, computer science) and business management fields. Its continuing education portfolio includes CAS/DAS/MAS programs and EMBA. The institution operates multiple research institutes (IE, COMATEC, REDS, IICT, IAI, IIDE, INSIT, MEI) developing applied technologies including TwinDiGrid (digital twin for electrical grids), BioSentiers (AR biodiversity app), Hydroscan (AI waterway monitoring), and hydrogen vehicle technology. Innovation support includes the [seal] cybersecurity program, CRUNCH Time challenges, and startup incubation. The institution also offers specialized programs including PiBS (practice-integrating Bachelor) and INTREF (refugee integration).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Institut des Energies (IE): A merger of the Institut de Génie thermique and the Institut d'Énergie et systèmes électriques, focused on electrical systems, thermal systems, and energy integration with sustainability.

Products and services

• Bachelor Programs (9 filières) Nine Bachelor degree programs in engineering and business management fields, offered full-time (6 semesters) or part-time/en emploi (8 semesters) and including PiBS practice-integrating mode. Targets Swiss and international students seeking applied higher education.
• Continuing Education Programs (CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA) Continuing education programs including CAS, DAS, MAS, EMBA, and short courses for working professionals across domains such as clinical affairs, mobility planning, agile organizations, HR digitalization, M&A, leadership, and mediation.
• TwinDiGrid (Digital Twin for Electrical Grids) Digital twin system for electrical grids that uses real-time and predictive data to model, balance, and optimize energy supply and demand. Enables testing of new solutions before implementation. Developed in partnership with Romande Énergie, Services Industriels de Lausanne, and Services Industriels de Genève.
• BioSentiers (Augmented Reality Biodiversity Application) Interactive augmented reality application for exploring biodiversity on nature trails. Users explore with smartphone or tablet to discover local flora through AR overlays with real-time biodiversity information.
• Hydrogen Vehicle Demonstrator World-first vehicle integrating an ammonia cracker and fuel cell to produce hydrogen from ammonia onboard. Developed in collaboration with Neology, Multigas, and Alliance-innovation. Uses only water as emission.
• Smart Energy District HES-SO flagship project developing an intelligent energy district for optimal renewable energy management. Tests energy resources including PV panels, heat pumps, EV charging, and building management on a neighborhood-scale pilot.
• PiBS (Bachelor Intégrant la Pratique) Practice-integrating Bachelor program allowing students to combine work and study. Expanded to include Génie Territorial in addition to existing engineering fields.
• [seal] Cybersecurity Innovation Program Canton of Vaud innovation funding program for cybersecurity and digital trust projects. Collaboration between EPFL, HEIG-VD, and University of Lausanne, offering up to CHF 100,000 per collaborative innovation project.
• CRUNCH Time Innovation Program Annual 5-day innovation challenge connecting organizations with students to solve business and technical challenges. Includes Scholar Camp for pre-university students.
• Startup Incubator (Pépiniѐre de Start-up) Incubation support for startups emerging from HEIG-VD, including funding opportunities, mentorship, and access to Y-Start incubator at Y-Parc.
• FORMIDABLE Grid-Forming Inverters Project developing next-generation grid-forming inverters to enable stable renewable energy grid integration. Partnership with HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Groupe E, SIL, and Imperix.
• Hydroscan (AI Waterway Monitoring Platform) AI-powered platform for waterway surveillance using advanced sensors and machine learning to monitor and predict water quality and detect anomalies.
• URBASAN (Sleep Disorder Detection Platform) AI-powered platform for early detection of sleep disorders through analysis of physiological monitoring data.
• HeartCare (Hypertension Monitoring Application) Mobile application for hypertension monitoring and patient follow-up, featuring real-time health data tracking and predictive analytics for patient outcomes.
• Faceshield (Adversarial ML Defense) AI-powered defense system to counter adversarial machine learning attacks on facial recognition and other computer vision systems.
• Phishing Protection Solutions AI-based security solutions to protect organizations against cybercriminal phishing attacks and social engineering threats.
• Research Institutes Multiple research institutes including IE (Energy), COMATEC (Mechanical Engineering), REDS (Embedded Systems), IICT (ICT), IAI (Industrial Automation), IIDE (Business Development), INSIT (Territorial Engineering), MEI (Media Engineering) conducting applied research and contracted R&D services.
• Preparatory Semester (Semestre préparatoire) Pre-Bachelor semester preparing students for engineering admission exams and first year studies, covering mathematics, physics, chemistry, French, and English.
• INTREF Integration Program Integration program for refugees and asylum seekers to acquire engineering knowledge and professional experience for Bachelor-level studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 179 CAS, DAS, MAS, and EMBA titles delivered in academic year 2023-2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability17 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

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

• InnovaudminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Innovaud is listed as a partner of the Journée Recherche et Innovation 2025, supporting the research and innovation event.
• ADNV (Association pour le Développement du Nord Vaudois)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025ADNV is a partner of the Journée Recherche et Innovation 2025, supporting regional economic development events.
• TravysminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Travys is the regional public transport network serving HEIG-VD campuses and is a partner of the Journée Recherche et Innovation 2025.
• HES-SO (Haute École Spécialisée de Suisse occidentale)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024HEIG-VD is a member institution of HES-SO, the largest network of universities of applied sciences in Switzerland with 28 institutions. HES-SO provides shared admissions infrastructure, research funding coordination, inter-institutional student mobility, and collaborative programs including flagship projects such as SMART ENERGY DISTRICT.
• NeologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Neology collaborated with HEIG-VD's Institut des Énergies (IE), along with Multigas and Alliance-innovation, to develop a hydrogen mobility vehicle demonstrator integrating an ammonia cracker and fuel cell — a world-first technology. IE optimized coupling of the cracker and fuel cell and their integration into the vehicle.
• Romande ÉnergiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Romande Énergie is a key partner in multiple IE research projects including Soft Open Point (SOP) grid management (experimented for one year), TwinDiGrid digital twin, and the SMART ENERGY DISTRICT. They also partnered on the Innovation CRUNCH Time energy surplus challenge.
• Groupe EcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Groupe E is an industrial partner in the FORMIDABLE project for grid-forming inverters, collaborating with IE at HEIG-VD, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Services industriels de Lausanne, and startup Imperix. Also a partner in SMART ENERGY DISTRICT.
• ImperixcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Imperix, a startup, provides grid-forming inverter prototypes for the FORMIDABLE project. HEIG-VD researchers and students develop and test inverter algorithms with these prototypes on HEIG-VD's test networks, with secondary testing at Groupe E.
• HEIA-FR (HES-SO Fribourg)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in the HES-SO flagship SMART ENERGY DISTRICT project alongside HEPGenf and HES-SO Valais, aiming to create an intelligent energy quarter test site in Western Switzerland.
• HEPGenf (Geneva)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in the HES-SO flagship SMART ENERGY DISTRICT project alongside HEIA-FR and HES-SO Valais, working on the intelligent energy quarter pilot.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EPFL co-founded the [seal] program with HEIG-VD and the University of Lausanne, a cantonally-funded innovation program strengthening relationships between the three institutions and the regional economy, funding cybersecurity and digital trust projects up to CHF 100,000.
• Université de Lausanne (UNIL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024UNIL co-founded the [seal] program with EPFL and HEIG-VD, funding collaborative innovation in cybersecurity and digital trust, with the goal of connecting academic research capabilities with the regional economic ecosystem.
• Y-Parc Swiss TechnopolecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Y-Parc hosts HEIG-VD at its Y-Parc site and runs the Y-Start incubator. The technopole presents its entrepreneurial ecosystem and incubator to students and aspiring founders during events like Global Entrepreneurship Week.
• Swiss Universities (swissuniversities.ch)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024swissuniversities.ch provides admission information for international students wishing to study in Switzerland, referenced on HEIG-VD's admissions pages for foreign diploma holders.
• Centre Professionnel du Nord Vaudois (CPNV)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024CPNV in partnership with HEIG-VD offers a MCT (Module Complémentaire Technique) bridge year for holders of gymnasium matura, allowing access to HEIG-VD engineering programs.
• MultigascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Multigas partnered with Neology and HEIG-VD in the hydrogen mobility project, contributing to the development of the ammonia cracker and fuel cell vehicle demonstrator.
• Alliance-innovationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Alliance-innovation collaborated with Neology, Multigas, and HEIG-VD on the hydrogen mobility demonstrator project, contributing to innovation ecosystem coordination.
• VentureLab / Venture KickminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024VentureLab participates in Global Entrepreneurship Week at HEIG-VD, presenting its tools for startup creation. HEIG-VD alumni startups Miloo and SideLights are venture kick alumni.
• La Marive (La Marive Congress & Culture Center)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Black Alps cybersecurity conference is held at La Marive in Yverdon-les-Bains, with approximately 600 experts in attendance.
• Services Industriels de Lausanne (SiL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SiL partners with HEIG-VD on the TwinDiGrid digital twin project to create a virtual copy of electrical distribution networks for simulation and scenario testing. SiL also collaborates on the FORMIDABLE project.
• Services Industriels de Genève (SIG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023SIG partners with HEIG-VD on the TwinDiGrid digital twin project for electrical distribution network representation and simulation.
• HES-SO Valais-WalliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaborates with HEIG-VD's Institut des Énergies on the FORMIDABLE project for grid-forming inverters, developing a new typology of inverter and managing microgrid algorithms with multiple inverters.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SUPSI (Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana): Italian-speaking Swiss UAS; directly comparable as a peer university of applied sciences offering engineering bachelors, applied research institutes, and continuing education under the same Swiss federal higher-education framework.
• FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz): Multi-site Swiss university of applied sciences; comparable as a direct peer for engineering bachelor programs, Ra&D centers, and continuing education across multiple Swiss cantons.
• ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften): Largest Swiss UAS by headcount in Zurich; comparable as a peer university of applied sciences offering engineering bachelor/master programs, applied research institutes, and continuing education at national scale.
• HES-SO Valais-Wallis: HES-SO partner institution collaborating on the FORMIDABLE grid-forming inverter project. Directly comparable as a fellow HES-SO engineering university of applied sciences sharing applied-research infrastructure and degree structures.
• OST (Ostschweizer Fachhochschule): Eastern Switzerland UAS; comparable as a direct peer for engineering bachelor programs, applied R&D centers, and regional industry collaboration model.
• BFH (Berner Fachhochschule): Swiss UAS in the Canton of Bern; directly comparable as a peer institution with engineering programs, applied research institutes, and continuing education offerings in the same Swiss federal policy framework.
• HES-SO Fribourg (HEIA-FR): HES-SO sister institution and partner on the SMART ENERGY DISTRICT flagship. Directly comparable as a fellow University of Applied Sciences offering engineering bachelors, applied research, and continuing education in the same Swiss federal network.

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: Switzerland's premier federal STEM university; comparable as a domestic peer for STEM talent, applied research collaborations, and graduate-level continuing education audiences across Switzerland.
• University of Lausanne (UNIL): Cantonal university partner in the [seal] cybersecurity/digital-trust program and Vaud innovation ecosystem. Comparable as a peer academic institution collaborating on cross-disciplinary applied research and student mobility.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne): Federally-funded research university also based in Vaud, partnered with HEIG-VD via the [seal] cybersecurity program. Comparable as a peer STEM/academic institution in the same regional ecosystem with overlapping student and research applicant pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2h6pRN6aLhZJ5j65kGaXvw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heig-vd
• Instagraminstagram.com/heigvd
• Xx.com/heigvd
• Facebookfacebook.com/HEIGVD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles24 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 HEIG-VD