HES-SO

What HES-SO does

HES-SO (Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale) is a public Swiss University of Applied Sciences and Arts established on 26 May 2011 by an intercantonal convention among seven Western Swiss cantons. Headquartered in Delémont, it operates as a platform structure uniting 28 specialized member schools organized into six academic domains: Design and Visual Arts, Business and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, and Social Work. The institution delivers 43 bachelor programs and 25 master programs, coordinates cross-institutional offerings such as the Master in Life Sciences jointly run with FHNW, ZHAW, and BFH, and provides continuing education (CAS, DAS, MAS, EMBA) and lifelong learning pathways including VAE accreditation and refugee integration programs (INVOST).

The business model is publicly funded rather than venture- or equity-backed. Cantonal subsidies, regulated tuition fees, third-party research funding (notably through SEFRI-mandated units like the Leading House MENA), and applied-research contracts underwrite operations. Distribution occurs through direct enrollment at member schools across the seven cantons and via 900+ international partner institutions supporting student exchange and research cooperation. The institution is embedded in major European higher education alliances (UNITA, EUA, EAIE, UAS4EUROPE, RELIEF) and partners with agencies such as Movetia and Swissuniversities.

Core outputs include the bachelor and master degree portfolio, the HES-SO Master brand managed by the Rectorat, the Hémisphères academic journal (Issue 31 "Mouvements"), applied-research services across institutes and competencies, and the longstanding HES-SO à Paléo innovation partnership with Paléo Festival Nyon. Governance rests with the Rectorat in Delémont and the Comité gouvernemental, whose presidency was assumed by Anne Hiltpold (conseillère d'État) in June 2026. Institutional accreditation was confirmed in 2026, and the 2025 annual report was published in July 2026.

Name

HES-SO

Legal name

HES-SO Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale

Website

https://hes-so.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

HES-SO is the largest Swiss University of Applied Sciences and Arts, operating 28 specialized schools across seven Western Swiss cantons. It delivers practice-oriented bachelor, master, continuing-education, and applied-research programs across six academic domains to students and lifelong learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Quality, Process Improvement & Lean/Six Sigma Certifications (EDAAANAC)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Applied research services
• University of applied sciences
• Continuing professional education
• International academic mobility

Headquarters

HQ city

Delémont

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HES-SO is a public Swiss University of Applied Sciences and Arts that delivers higher education programs (43 Bachelor's and 25+ Master's), continuing professional education (CAS, DAS, MAS, EMBA), and applied research and innovation services across six academic domains. It operates 28 member higher education schools across 7 cantons in Western Switzerland, coordinating education and research through a centralized Rectorat.

Product overview

HES-SO (Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale) is a university of applied sciences comprising 28 specialized schools across 7 cantons in Western Switzerland. The institution operates as a platform structure offering 43 Bachelor programs and 25 Master programs across six academic domains: Design and Visual Arts, Business and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, and Social Work. The product portfolio includes core educational programs (Bachelor, Master, Formation Continue), research and innovation services, international cooperation through the Leading House MENA, and specialized offerings like the Revue Hémisphères academic journal and the HES-SO à Paléo innovation partnership. The institution also provides lifelong learning pathways including VAE, bridge programs, and refugee integration initiatives, all connected through international alliances such as UNITA for cross-border academic collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HES-SO Master: The coordinated Master programmes managed by the HES-SO Rectorat, covering interdisciplinary Master's degrees across member institutions.
• HES-SO Master

Products and services

• HES-SO Bachelor Programs Undergraduate degree programs across six academic domains — Design and Visual Arts, Business and Services, Engineering and Architecture, Music and Performing Arts, Health, and Social Work — delivered across 28 specialized schools in Western Switzerland.
• HES-SO Master Programs Graduate degree programs coordinated across the HES-SO network and offered jointly with partner Swiss universities of applied sciences, including tracks such as the Master in Life Sciences (MLS) and Master of Science in Engineering (MSE).
• HES-SO Formation Continue Continuing education offerings including CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies), DAS (Diploma of Advanced Studies), MAS (Master of Advanced Studies), and EMBA programs for professional development and lifelong learning.
• HES-SO Recherche et Innovation Applied research and innovation services across all six domains, including research projects, institutes and competencies, third-party funding acquisition, academic career development, Open Science initiatives, and scientific integrity programs.
• Leading House MENA International scientific cooperation unit mandated by SEFRI (Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation) to develop partnerships and promote knowledge sharing between Switzerland and the Middle East/North Africa region, coordinating Research Partnership Grants and the ETA program.
• Programme ETA (Technologies Appropriées) International program promoting applied research and training in appropriate technologies for sustainable development, fostering scientific collaborations between HES-SO and Francophone regions.
• UNITA Alliance Programs European university alliance participation offering student and staff mobility, virtual mobility, joint programs, and internationalization initiatives across partner institutions in Europe.
• Revue Hémisphères Academic journal published by HES-SO covering interdisciplinary topics across its domains, with Issue 31 titled 'Mouvements' exploring choreography with detained persons, senior mobility, blockchain technology, and public health.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GRP-Alliance - Swiss Alliance for Global Research PartnershipscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Founded in 1994, attached to SCNAT. Alliance of Swiss research institutions, development organizations and funding agencies making international research collaborations more effective, equitable and sustainable.
• UNITA - Universitas MontiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university alliance focused on internationalization, student mobility, and joint research initiatives. HES-SO participates as associated partner with opportunities for students, researchers, and staff.
• EUA - European University AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner850 members across 47 countries. EUA plays a major role in the Bologna process and defines EU policies on higher education, research and innovation.
• EAIE - European Association for International EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean center of expertise, networking and resources for internationalization of higher education.
• UAS4EUROPEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of European universities of applied sciences representing tertiary institutions oriented toward practice-based education.
• RELIEF NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of exchanges and liaisons between French-speaking higher education institutions.
• Swiss Leading House MENAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMandated by SEFRI to develop international scientific partnership instruments and promote knowledge sharing between Switzerland and MENA region.
• MovetiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss agency supporting mobility and exchange programs in education and training.
• SwissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss rectors' conference representing all Swiss higher education institutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FHNW - Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz: FHNW is a major Swiss UAS and a direct peer to HES-SO, delivering applied Bachelor and Master programs across multiple domains. HES-SO and FHNW already cooperate on joint Master programs (e.g., MLS), underscoring direct comparability.
• OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule: OST is a regional Swiss UAS serving Eastern Switzerland with applied Bachelor and Master programs in technology, business, health, and social work, directly comparable in mission and portfolio to HES-SO's member schools.
• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS): FFHS is a Swiss distance-learning UAS offering Bachelor, Master, and continuing education programs, directly comparable to HES-SO's lifelong learning and continuing education stack (CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA).
• BFH - Berner Fachhochschule: BFH is a Swiss UAS that competes and cooperates with HES-SO in applied sciences, particularly in health, engineering, and business. BFH is also a partner in the joint MLS Master program with HES-SO.
• ZHAW - Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften: ZHAW is one of Switzerland's leading Universities of Applied Sciences and a direct peer to HES-SO, offering comparable Bachelor, Master, and applied research programs in engineering, business, health, and social work across German-speaking Switzerland.
• SUPSI - Scuola universitaria professionale della Svizzera italiana: SUPSI is the Italian-speaking Swiss UAS offering applied Bachelor, Master, and continuing education programs. It is a direct structural peer to HES-SO under the Swiss UAS framework.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Kalaidos is a private Swiss UAS offering applied Bachelor, Master, and continuing education programs across business, health, and IT. It overlaps with HES-SO's Formation Continue and degree offerings as a competing Swiss UAS.

Broad incumbents

• EPFL - École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne: EPFL is a federally funded research and teaching institution based in Lausanne (HES-SO's territory), serving as a broader incumbent in higher education and applied sciences with overlapping engineering and architecture programs.
• ETH Zürich: ETH Zürich is one of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology and a broad incumbent in higher education and applied research, competing for top STEM talent and research funding alongside HES-SO.
• Université de Lausanne (UNIL): UNIL is a traditional research university in Western Switzerland that overlaps with HES-SO's operating geography and competes for the same regional student pool, particularly in social sciences and related disciplines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/106832380/admin/page-posts/published

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HES-SO