HES-SO Geneva
HES-SO Geneva is a public Swiss University of Applied Sciences operating six specialized schools (engineering, business, design, music, health, social work) serving over 6,000 students across Geneva with applied research and government service mandates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersCarouge, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What HES-SO Geneva does
HES-SO Geneva (Haute \u00e9cole sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9e de Suisse occidentale \u2014 Gen\u00e8ve) is a public Swiss University of Applied Sciences established in 1998 and headquartered in Carouge, Geneva. It is the Geneva branch of the HES-SO network \u2014 the largest of Switzerland's nine Universities of Applied Sciences, spanning 27 sites across seven French-speaking cantons with approximately 15,000 students network-wide. HES-SO Geneva operates six specialized schools: HEPIA (engineering, architecture, landscape), HEG (economics and services), HEAD (art and design), HEM (music and performing arts), HEdS (health sciences), and HETS (social work), collectively enrolling more than 6,000 students.
The institution delivers Bachelor and Master degree programs, continuing education (including HEG's Executive MBA), applied research, and service mandates to businesses and institutions. Cross-cutting service units include CIT\u00c9 (interdisciplinary center for urban and territorial transition), Pulse Incubateur HES (entrepreneurship), VisionS (joint continuing education between HEdS and HETS), and the LTI information technology laboratory at HEG, which provides Drupal-based web development and W3C/WAI accessibility auditing accredited by the Swiss Confederation for government clients such as the State of Geneva. Technology platforms span Drupal CMS frameworks, accessibility-compliant public-sector websites, and the institution's own Drupal-based digital infrastructure at hesge.ch.
HES-SO Geneva is funded primarily through Swiss cantonal and federal government allocations under the Loi sur la HES-SO Gen\u00e8ve, with tuition fees regulated by Swiss cantonal law on an annual billing cycle. Its go-to-market relies on open-door events, information sessions, applied-research partnerships with regional businesses and institutions, and entrepreneurship support via Pulse. Governance is exercised through a Direction g\u00e9n\u00e9rale led by Directrice g\u00e9n\u00e9rale Daniela Di Mare App\u00e9r\u00e9, the six school directors, and oversight from the Canton of Geneva and the HES-SO Comit\u00e9 gouvernemental, which as of June 2026 is presided over by Geneva State Councillor Anne Hiltpold.
HES-SO Geneva firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HES-SO Geneva
- Legal name
- HES-SO Genève
- Website
- https://hesge.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- HES-SO Geneva is a public Swiss University of Applied Sciences operating six specialized schools (engineering, business, design, music, health, social work) serving over 6,000 students across Geneva with applied research and government service mandates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HES-SO Geneva industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools (EDAHAHAE), Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI)
Keywords
Where HES-SO Geneva is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carouge
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
HES-SO Geneva business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Public Funding: As a public higher education institution under Swiss federal and cantonal law, HES-SO Geneva is primarily funded through government subsidies and public financing rather than direct revenue generation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Public higher education tuition fees regulated by Swiss cantonal law |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
HES-SO Geneva product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HES-SO Geneva delivers professional higher education through six specialized schools offering Bachelor and Master degree programs in engineering and architecture, business and information science, art and design, music, health sciences, and social work. Beyond degree programs, the institution provides continuing education for working professionals, applied research projects and service mandates for external businesses and public institutions, and runs cross-cutting units such as CITÉ for urban transition, Pulse Incubateur HES for entrepreneurship, and the LTI laboratory for digital communication services.
Product overview
HES-SO Genève is an educational consortium comprising six distinct schools within the HES-SO (Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale) network: HEPIA (Engineering and Architecture), HEG (Business Management), HEAD (Art and Design), HEM (Music), HEdS (Health Sciences), and HETS (Social Work). The institution delivers Bachelor and Master degree programs, applied research, continuing education services, and international exchanges. Cross-cutting service units include CITÉ (interdisciplinary center for urban transition), Pulse Incubator (entrepreneurship support), and LTI (IT and web technology services). The six schools operate independently with their own program portfolios while sharing institutional infrastructure and coordination through the HES-SO Genève Direction générale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pulse Incubateur HES: Incubator that emerges and supports innovative projects from the six HES-SO Genève schools, fostering entrepreneurial spirit and contributing to the regional innovation ecosystem.
- CITÉ - Centre interdisciplinaire pour la transition des villes
- VisionS
Companies that use HES-SO Geneva
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
HES-SO Geneva technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
HES-SO Geneva partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- CERNminorA nursing student from HEdS participates in prevention activities at CERN, demonstrating cross-institutional collaboration in healthcare education and workplace safety.
- Université de Genève (UNIGE)coreJoint territorial development program with UNIGE through HES-SO Master, enabling interdisciplinary collaboration between universities of applied sciences and traditional universities.
- Praille Acacias Vernets (PAV) ProjectcoreCITÉ center collaborates with the PAV project, a major urban development initiative in Geneva, on territorial residences and urban transformation research.
- Pulse Incubateur HES PartnersminorExternal coaches and experts support student and staff innovation projects through the Pulse incubator, extending resources beyond the institution.
- State of GenevacoreLTI provides web development and maintenance services for state election and voting websites, including result display applications.
- AdaliaminorPartnership with Adalia to operate Café Battelle, providing daily catering services for the HEG-Genève campus community.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
HES-SO Geneva competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule: Eastern Switzerland UAS formed in 2020 from FHS St.Gallen and FHO Rapperswil, offering comparable applied degree programs across engineering, business, social work, health, and design under the same federal UAS accreditation framework.
- SUPSI Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana: Italian-speaking Swiss University of Applied Sciences with multi-school portfolio (engineering, business, design, social work, health). Directly comparable in scale, legal status, and UAS mandate, differing only in language region.
- HES-SO Vaud: Sister institution within the HES-SO network serving the Vaud canton. Shares the Direction stratégique of HES-SO and operates the same UAS model, with overlapping programs in engineering, business, design, health, and social work.
- FHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz: Multi-school University of Applied Sciences combining engineering, business, design, social work, life sciences, and pedagogy. Operates under the same Swiss UAS legal framework as HES-SO Geneva with analogous public funding, continuing education, and applied research mandates.
- University of Geneva (UNIGE): Co-located public higher education institution with overlapping degree programs and a formal core partnership through the HES-SO Master program. Competes for talent and applied-research funding within the Geneva ecosystem.
- BFH Bern University of Applied Sciences: Bilingual University of Applied Sciences with a comparable portfolio of schools covering engineering, business, health, social work, and design. Shares the Swiss UAS structure, public funding model, and applied-research orientation.
- ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences: Another of Switzerland's nine Universities of Applied Sciences with comparable applied-research model, multi-school structure, and Bachelor/Master programs. Most directly comparable as a German-language counterpart serving a different Swiss region with similar public funding and UAS positioning.
Broad incumbents
- ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship federal institute of technology. Sets the national benchmark for engineering, science, and applied research, and competes indirectly for students who might otherwise attend HES-SO Geneva's HEPIA programs.
- EPFL: Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne is the closest large-scale higher education competitor in French-speaking Switzerland, with overlapping engineering and computer science programs and far larger research budgets. Competes for top faculty, research grants, and elite student talent.
Emerging players
- IMD Business School: Private business school in Lausanne competing for the same Swiss continuing-education and executive talent pool that HES-SO Geneva's HEG addresses via its MBA and executive programs. Differs as a private, fee-driven model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
HES-SO Geneva social profiles
Digital presenceHES-SO Geneva financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HES-SO Geneva leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
HES-SO Geneva subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
HES-SO Geneva funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HES-SO Geneva M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HES-SO Geneva
What does HES-SO Geneva do?
HES-SO Geneva delivers professional higher education through six specialized schools offering Bachelor and Master degree programs in engineering and architecture, business and information science, art and design, music, health sciences, and social work. Beyond degree programs, the institution provides continuing education for working professionals, applied research projects and service mandates for external businesses and public institutions, and runs cross-cutting units such as CITÉ for urban transition, Pulse Incubateur HES for entrepreneurship, and the LTI laboratory for digital communication services.
Is HES-SO Geneva a public or private company?
HES-SO Geneva is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was HES-SO Geneva founded?
HES-SO Geneva was founded in 1998.
Where is HES-SO Geneva based?
HES-SO Geneva is headquartered in Carouge, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does HES-SO Geneva make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Funding.
Who are HES-SO Geneva's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule, SUPSI Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana, HES-SO Vaud, FHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, University of Geneva (UNIGE), BFH Bern University of Applied Sciences and ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Broad incumbents are ETH Zurich and EPFL. IMD Business School is listed as an emerging player.
Does HES-SO Geneva have an API?
No public API is recorded for HES-SO Geneva.
What industry is HES-SO Geneva in?
HES-SO Geneva's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAEAB, Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities, with a secondary code of EDAHAHAE, Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools. Its NAICS code is 61131 and its SIC code is 8200.