ZHAW School of Engineering

What ZHAW School of Engineering does

ZHAW School of Engineering is one of eight departments within ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften / Zurich University of Applied Sciences), a public Swiss university of applied sciences headquartered in Winterthur with additional campuses in Zurich and Wädenswil. The department delivers Bachelor's, Master's, and continuing-education programmes (CAS, MAS) in engineering disciplines, with applied research organised around four thematic areas: energy, mobility, information, and health. Operational technology is anchored by a branded Moodle LMS (moodle.zhaw.ch) hosting course delivery, digital examinations, and integrated generative-AI features delivered via Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, plus a portfolio of interdisciplinary competence centres — Datalab, Digital Health Lab (including the SHIFT smart-hospital project), CYPHER cybersecurity network, and GEKONT construction/environment competence centre. Research groups in Responsible AI Innovation and Neurotechnology develop explainable-AI certification frameworks (certAInty), brain-computer interface technologies, and international standards through IEEE and the Swiss Centre for Responsible AI.

The business model is characteristic of a Swiss public university of applied sciences: a primary revenue stream of federal and cantonal government funding, supplemented by competitive applied-research contracts (Innosuisse, Swiss National Science Foundation, EU programmes), industry-sponsored research, and tuition from continuing-education programmes. Customers span four segments — prospective degree students, working professionals in CAS/MAS programmes, industry and government research partners, and NGOs/policy bodies. Distribution is direct and on-campus in Winterthur, supplemented by the Moodle platform, dedicated digital-transformation and sustainability funds (Digital Futures Fund, Sustainable Impact Program), and an annual ZHAW Sustainability Day event. The institution is government-funded, accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Council, and embedded in European consortia (EELISA, CAIRNE) and Swiss higher-education networks (Swissuniversities). No M&A, equity funding, or private-ownership events are recorded; the entity is a public-law institution rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

ZHAW School of Engineering

Legal name

ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Website

https://zhaw.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ZHAW School of Engineering is a public Swiss university of applied sciences department delivering practice-oriented engineering education and applied research in energy, mobility, information, and health, funded by government, research contracts, and continuing-education programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Applied Engineering Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Math & Science Interactive Learning Platforms (STEM Core) (EDAFANAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineering Design & Project-Based Learning Programs (EDAMADAB)

Keywords

• Engineering higher education
• Applied research services
• Continuing education programs
• Responsible AI research
• Neurotechnology research

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. Public Funding: Government funding from Swiss federal and cantonal authorities as a public university of applied sciences, constituting primary revenue stream for educational operations.
2. Research Contracts: Applied research projects funded by industry partners, government agencies, and international organizations including Innosuisse, Swiss National Science Foundation, and European research initiatives.
3. Continuing Education Programs: CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies), MAS (Master of Advanced Studies), and executive education programs generating revenue from working professionals and organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ZHAW School of Engineering delivers practice-oriented higher education through Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in engineering disciplines, with research and development concentrated on energy, mobility, information, and health. It also offers continuing education (CAS/MAS), applied research collaboration with industry and government partners, and runs the internal Moodle learning platform supported by AI-enabled features.

Product overview

ZHAW School of Engineering operates within the broader ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) ecosystem. Its educational technology portfolio centres on the Moodle learning management system (moodle.zhaw.ch), which serves as the primary platform for course delivery, digital examinations, and e-learning across the university's programmes. ZHAW's interdisciplinary competence centres — Datalab, Digital Health Lab, CYPHER, and GEKONT — provide research infrastructure in data science, digital health, cybersecurity, and construction/environment respectively. The institution supports digital transformation through dedicated funds (Digital Futures Fund, Transformative Education Fund) and an annual ZHAW Sustainability Day event. The School of Engineering also contributes to AI research through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and its Responsible AI Innovation Group, with the Datalab serving as the cross-departmental data science hub. ZHAW sustainable runs the Sustainable Impact Program with multiple funding streams (Instant Impact Fund, Living Lab Fund, Student Project Fund) and the Re:Act dialogue series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moodle LMS (ZHAW Instance) ZHAW's primary learning and examination management system (moodle.zhaw.ch and moodle-exam.zhaw.ch), providing course content, learning activities, assessments, and e-examinations for enrolled students and teaching staff.
• ZHAW Sustainable Impact Program Sustainability funding program offering Instant Impact Fund, Living Lab Fund, Student Project Fund, and SDG Thesis Award to support sustainable development projects across ZHAW.
• Datalab ZHAW Data Science Laboratory focusing on data science research and applications across the university's departments.
• Digital Health Lab Interdisciplinary competence centre at ZHAW addressing digital health topics, with flagship project SHIFT (Smart Hospital Integrated Framework, Tools & Solutions).
• CYPHER Cybersecurity competence network at ZHAW.
• GEKONT Competence centre for construction and environment at ZHAW.
• Angewandte Gerontologie AGe+ Applied gerontology competence centre at ZHAW.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Google Project ContrailcoreTechnology or Integration · 14 April 2026Google expert Max Vogler presented on Project Contrail at Sustainability Day 2026, showcasing how AI helps reduce climate impact of air traffic.
• University of BathcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Prof. Andrew Crane from University of Bath participated in panel discussion on sustainability economics at Sustainability Day 2026.
• PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026UN PRME initiative collaborated with ZHAW for opening plenary at Sustainability Day 2026, led by Professor David Steingard.
• Swiss universitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Membership in Swissuniversities association connecting Swiss higher education institutions for collaboration.
• IBMcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2025IBM partnered with ZHAW for the Sustainability Day 2025 event, conducting workshops on environmental impacts of digital technologies and AI systems.
• myclimatecoreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2025myclimate collaborated with ZHAW for the Lifestyle Calculator workshop at Sustainability Day 2026, helping participants explore their ecological footprint.
• EaternitycoreTechnology or Integration · 8 April 2025Eaternity partnered with ZHAW for the Lifestyle Calculator workshop, focusing on environmental impact assessment tools.
• B Lab SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025B Lab Switzerland conducted the 'Fairness in the Global Supply Chain' workshop at Sustainability Day 2026, addressing corporate responsibility and sustainability certification.
• ReworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2025Rework led the Sustainable Fashion Challenge at Sustainability Day 2026, providing practical upcycling activities and sustainability education.
• SwissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW is a member of Swissuniversities, the association of Swiss universities working on shared higher education policy and collaboration.
• EELISA European UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW participates in EELISA, a European University initiative fostering transnational collaboration among European institutions.
• Swiss Accreditation CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW maintains accreditation through the Swiss Accreditation Council ensuring quality standards in higher education.
• CAIRNE (Confederation of Laboratories for AI Research in Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW leads CAIRNE Office Zurich as part of European AI research network focusing on responsible AI development.
• IEEE Standards AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Chavarriaga chairs IEEE Industry Connections Group on Neurotechnologies for Brain-Machine Interface, developing international standards.
• Swiss Centre for Responsible AIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW's Dr. Chavarriaga co-founded this center advancing responsible AI research and implementation in Switzerland.
• Datalab ZHAWcoreTechnology or IntegrationZHAW Data Science Laboratory providing AI and data analytics capabilities across ZHAW research initiatives.
• Innosuisse Innovation Booster DataboostercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW co-leads Focus Topic Responsible AI within this Swiss innovation booster supporting AI ventures.
• Microsoft Azure OpenAI ServicecoreTechnology or IntegrationZHAW Moodle uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for integrated generative AI features including text and image generation.
• Moodle Pty LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationZHAW uses branded Moodle learning platform developed and supported by Moodle Pty Ltd as primary LMS solution.
• BRIDGE Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner15 international organizations collaborating on International Data Governance Framework for brain and mental health research.
• EPFLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Chavarriaga previously research scientist at EPFL, maintaining ongoing collaborative research relationships.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Oliver Buchholz from ETH Zurich Health Ethics & Policy Lab participated in AI ethics panel at Sustainability Day 2026.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• HTWG Konstanz (Hochschule Konstanz): German University of Applied Sciences located directly across the Swiss border, with comparable engineering degree programs and practice-oriented research — competes with ZHAW for cross-border students and EU-funded applied research.
• Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA): German engineering-focused Hochschule offering applied Bachelor's and Master's programs with industry-integrated research — comparable regional engineering university without direct Swiss market overlap.

Direct peers

• BFH Bern University of Applied Sciences: Swiss Fachhochschule providing engineering Bachelor's and Master's programs and applied research — operates at the same tier as ZHAW within the cantonal UAS system and competes for similar student and contract-research pools.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne): Sister Swiss federal institute of technology covering engineering, computer science, and life sciences — directly comparable to ZHAW's School of Engineering for research output, faculty recruitment, and applied research partnerships.
• ETH Zurich: Swiss federal institute of technology focused on engineering, natural sciences, and applied research — the top competitor for engineering talent, research funding, and industry partnerships across the Swiss market.
• HSLU Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts: Swiss Fachhochschule with engineering, business, and design programs; competes in the same UAS funding pool as ZHAW for students, applied research contracts, and continuing-education learners.
• FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland: Swiss Fachhochschule of comparable tier to ZHAW, offering applied engineering programs, applied research, and continuing education — direct peer within the same UAS system.
• OST Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences: Merged Fachhochschule covering engineering, architecture, and applied research with campuses in Rapperswil and St.Gallen — comparable institution at peer tier within the Swiss UAS landscape.
• SUPSI Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera Italiana: Italian-Swiss Fachhochschule delivering engineering and applied-research programs — same Swiss UAS governance model and similar applied-research revenue model as ZHAW.

Others

• University of St.Gallen (HSG): Swiss public university operating in the same cantonal ecosystem of higher education; not an engineering peer but comparable as a fellow Swiss UAS-tier institution competing for cross-disciplinary research funding and continuing-education market share.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/zhawch
• Facebookfacebook.com/zhaw.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/z-rcher-hochschule-f-r-angewandte-wissenschaften-zhaw-
• Instagraminstagram.com/zhaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 School of Engineering