DFHI-ISFATES

What DFHI-ISFATES does

DFHI-ISFATES (Deutsch-Französisches Hochschulinstitut für Technik und Wirtschaft / Institut Supérieur Franco-Allemand d'Economie et de Techniques) is a binational public higher education institute established in 1978 by intergovernmental treaty between France and Germany, operating as a joint department of Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar) and Université de Lorraine. The institute delivers integrated, bilingual (German-French) Bachelor and Master degree programs across two academic tracks — Management (business administration, logistics, tourism) and Engineering & Computer Science (electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, informatics) — with graduates receiving a dual degree from both partner universities. The portfolio includes supplementary offerings such as intensive language courses, summer internships, language certifications, interdisciplinary projects, and ERASMUS+ mobility, as well as a cooperative/dual study model for selected Master programs.

The institution does not operate as a commercial enterprise. Its revenue is public-sector funding sourced from the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) channeled via DAAD, the Saarland state, the French Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, the French Ministère de l'Éducation Nationale, and the binational Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH), with additional material and ideal support from the DFHI-Förderverein (Les Amis de l'ISFATES), a non-profit support association founded in 1990 with approximately 150 corporate members. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: prospective students apply after Abitur/Baccalaureate and proceed through a competitive admissions process, with recruitment conducted via campus days, trial study days, regional study fairs, and on-site counseling. The student body numbers approximately 450 across nationalities, against a 3,500+ alumni network built over 48 years of operation.

Name

DFHI-ISFATES

Legal name

Deutsch-Französisches Hochschulinstitut für Technik und Wirtschaft (DFHI)

Website

https://dfhi-isfates.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DFHI-ISFATES is a Franco-German public higher education institute, jointly operated by htw saar and Université de Lorraine, offering bilingual Bachelor's and Master's programs in management and engineering to approximately 450 students and awarding dual degrees recognized in both countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bilingual Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Dual/Joint Degree Programs (International) (EDAIABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways (EDAIAJAG), Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI), University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Bilingual higher education
• Franco-German study programs
• Dual degree programs
• Engineering education
• Management education

Headquarters

HQ city

Saarbrücken

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: Publicly funded higher education institution receiving funding from German and French governments. German side funded by Auswärtiges Amt through DAAD, with Saarland providing infrastructure. French side funded by Ministère des Affaires Etrangères and Ministère de l'Education Nationale. Additional funding from Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DFHI-ISFATES delivers integrated Franco-German bilingual Bachelor and Master degree programs in Management and Engineering disciplines across campuses in Saarbrücken (Germany) and Metz (France). Students earn dual degrees jointly awarded by Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar) and Université de Lorraine. The institution also provides supplementary services including intensive language courses, summer internships, language certifications, interdisciplinary projects, and international mobility programs.

Product overview

DFHI-ISFATES is a German-French higher education institute offering a unified portfolio of bilingual (German-French) study programs at Bachelor and Master levels. The institution provides two main academic tracks: Management (covering business administration, logistics, tourism) and Engineering & Computer Science (covering electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and informatics). Students receive dual degrees from both the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar) and the Université de Lorraine, and are members of the Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH-UFA). Supplementary offerings include intensive language courses, summer internships, language certifications, interdisciplinary projects, and international exchange programs via ERASMUS+. The institution is not a technology product company but an educational consortium established by intergovernmental treaty in 1978.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Deutsch-französisches und internationales Management (MFAI) - Bachelor A bilingual Bachelor program in German-French and International Management combining business administration fundamentals with cross-cultural competencies. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Internationales Logistik-Management (MLI) - Bachelor International Logistics and Supply Chain Management Bachelor program with German-French bilingual focus. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Internationales Tourismus-Management (MTI) - Bachelor International Tourism Management Bachelor program with German-French bilingual instruction. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Elektrotechnik – Erneuerbare Energien und Systemtechnik (ISICE) - Bachelor Electrical Engineering with focus on Renewable Energies and Systems Technology, bilingual German-French program. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Europäisches Baumanagement (GCME) - Bachelor
• Informatik und Web-Engineering (INFO) - Bachelor Computer Science and Web Engineering Bachelor program with German-French bilingual delivery. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Maschinenbau (GM) - Bachelor Mechanical Engineering Bachelor program with German-French dual degree structure. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Management – Finanzen, Supply Chain, Marketing oder Projektmanagement - Master Master program in Management with specializations in Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, or Project Management, offered in dual-degree format by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Elektrotechnik – Erneuerbare Energien und Systemtechnik - Master Master in Electrical Engineering focusing on Renewable Energies and System Technology with German-French partnership. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Europäisches Baumanagement - Master Master in European Civil Engineering and Management with binational degree jointly awarded by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Informatik: Sicherheit, BI, IHM und GI - Master Master in Computer Science with specializations in Security, Business Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, and Geoinformatics. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Maschinenbau - Master Master in Mechanical Engineering with German-French dual qualification. Awarded jointly by htw saar and Université de Lorraine.
• Kooperatives Studium / Études en alternance Cooperative/dual education model combining academic study with practical work experience, available for Master programs at DFHI-ISFATES.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes (htw saar)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 1978German partner university providing the German institutional framework and degree. DFHI is housed at htw saar campus in Saarbrücken. The institution operates under parity with Université de Lorraine.
• Université de LorrainecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 1978French partner university providing the French institutional framework and degree. ISFATES is part of Université de Lorraine at Campus Technopôle in Metz.
• Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral funding partner established in 1997 (operational from 2000). Supports German-French study programs and central activities financially and structurally including tutor programs, language support, and student mobility financial support.
• University of LuxembourgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partner institution contributing to European cooperation in the Greater Region. Students can participate in exchanges at University of Luxembourg.
• Arts et Métiers (ENSAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation with leading French engineering school for engineering students seeking additional international experience.
• Polytechnique MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational exchange partnership with leading Canadian engineering university for students seeking North American experience.
• ERASMUS+minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean mobility program supporting student exchanges and internships abroad. DFHI students can receive ERASMUS+ funding during study abroad and internship periods abroad.
• DFHI-Förderverein (Les Amis de l'ISFATES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport association with approximately 150 corporate and individual members founded in February 1990. Provides material and ideal support to DFHI, awards prizes to outstanding students, offers internships and job opportunities, and supports practical training and student projects. Includes companies such as Siemens, Villeroy & Boch, Dachser, HYDAC, EY Luxembourg, Deloitte, KPMG, Baker Tilly, and others.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ESCP Business School: Pan-European business school with campuses in Paris, Berlin, and other European cities offering multilingual binational management programs. Comparable bilingual management education targeting Franco-German career tracks.
• Sciences Po: Leading French higher education institution with a dedicated Franco-German college in Reims and a binational Bachelor program with the University of Freiburg. Directly comparable as a high-prestige Franco-German dual-degree provider.
• Deutsch-Französische Hochschule (DFH/UFA): The central Franco-German university network and funding body to which DFHI/ISFATES belongs. DFH supports ~100 Franco-German study programs across member institutions, making it the closest structural peer and overarching ecosystem operator.

Regional players

• Université de Lorraine: The French host university for ISFATES, offering a wide range of bilingual and Franco-German programs. Comparable as a parent institution delivering Franco-German higher education in the Metz region.
• HTW Saar (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft des Saarlandes): The German host university for DFHI, a University of Applied Sciences focused on applied sciences in Saarbrücken. Comparable as the German parent institution for dual Franco-German programs in engineering and management.
• University of Luxembourg: Partner institution in the Greater Region offering multilingual programs with a Franco-German orientation. Comparable in providing binational academic pathways in the Saar-Lor-Lux region.
• Saarland University (Universität des Saarlandes): Public research university located in Saarbrücken with strong Franco-German academic ties, including several joint programs. Overlaps geographically and in the Franco-German higher-education niche with DFHI/ISFATES.

Direct peers

• IÉSEG School of Management: French Grande École with campuses in Lille and Paris offering bilingual French-English and French-German programs. Comparable as a smaller specialized Franco/binational management school focused on international career preparation.
• Université franco-allemande / Deutsch-Französische Hochschule member programs (e.g., Collège franco-allemand de Sciences Po / Freiburg): Sciences Po's Franco-German College, jointly operated with Universität Freiburg, offers a binational Bachelor program and is a fellow DFH member institution — a direct peer in the Franco-German dual-degree space.

Emerging players

• INSA Strasbourg (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées): French Grande École d'Ingénieurs located on the German border with strong Franco-German engineering cooperation and dual-degree offerings. Comparable as a Franco-German engineering and management education provider with a binational footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQKbSPekLMNq-Vm9JJKdDpQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isfates-dfhi
• Instagraminstagram.com/dfhi_isfates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about DFHI-ISFATES