Herman Hollerith Zentrum

What Herman Hollerith Zentrum does

Herman Hollerith Zentrum (HHZ) is a public teaching and research center of the Faculty of Informatics at Hochschule Reutlingen, located at Danziger Str. 6, 71034 Böblingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in October 2013, HHZ operates as a department of a state-run university (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) under the Ministry of Science, Research and Art Baden-Württemberg. It delivers one bachelor's program (B.Sc. Digital Business) and three master's programs (M.Sc. Digital Business Engineering, M.Sc. Digital Business Management, M.Sc. Professional Software Engineering), all ASIIN-accredited, with ~1,000 students in the broader faculty and small cohorts of 20–25 students per master's program. The institution is ranked #1 in Germany for Digital Business by StudyCheck 2025 and top-rated in CHE Ranking 2026.

HHZ's core technology footprint comprises three specialized labs — the Smart City Living Lab, KI Lab Region Stuttgart, and the Böblingen Digitisation Centre (ZD.BB) — alongside a modern networked campus equipped for AI research, digital sketching, and lecture streaming. The AI curriculum spans generative AI, NLP, ML-based predictive analytics, and process automation, with applied research including a sales prediction model at 84% accuracy.

The business model is public higher education funding combined with applied research grants and corporate co-funding through dual study programs. Tuition takes the form of standard semester fees (~€199.30), with a €500K public funding award for ZD.BB and supplemental grants from German federal/regional research programs. Revenue is supplemented by corporate partner contributions through dual study programs, AI Bootcamps as a continuing education offering, and Knowledge Foundation participation fees for the dual DBM master. Customer segments are (1) students and prospective students, (2) corporate partner companies (Bosch, IBM, Porsche, SAP, Mercedes-Benz, Schwarz Group, MHP, HPE, CGI, and others) for talent and research, and (3) SMEs/startups in the Stuttgart region served through KI Lab and ZD.BB for digital transformation support.

Name

Herman Hollerith Zentrum

Legal name

Hochschule Reutlingen / Herman Hollerith Zentrum (HHZ)

Website

https://hhz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Herman Hollerith Zentrum is a public teaching and research center of Hochschule Reutlingen in Böblingen, Germany, offering bachelor's and master's degrees in Digital Business alongside applied AI research and SME digitalization programs through corporate and government partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation (BPACANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Learning Management Systems (LMS) & Academic Application Support (EDALAMAC), Learning Experience Design (LXD) & UX for Learning (EDAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Digital business studies
• Applied informatics research
• Dual study programs
• Computer science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Böblingen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Higher Education Funding: As a department of Hochschule Reutlingen (public university), HHZ operates primarily through government funding for teaching and research activities. Students pay standard semester fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HHZ is a teaching and research center of Hochschule Reutlingen's Faculty of Informatics that delivers bachelor and master degree programs in Digital Business and Software Engineering. It operates applied research labs including the Smart City Living Lab, KI Lab Region Stuttgart, and Böblingen Digitisation Centre (ZD.BB), and offers supplementary continuing education through AI Bootcamps. The center functions as part of a public university with corporate partner integration through dual study models.

Product overview

Herman Hollerith Zentrum (HHZ) is an educational institution offering a portfolio of academic degree programs and research facilities. The core offerings include three Master programs (M.Sc. Digital Business Engineering focused on IT/engineering, M.Sc. Digital Business Management focused on management-IT integration, and M.Sc. Professional Software Engineering) alongside one Bachelor program (B.Sc. Digital Business). These programs are supplemented by AI Bootcamps and the Digital Business Week international study trip. Research is conducted through specialized groups including the Data Science & AI Research Group, with practical facilities like the KI Lab Region Stuttgart (AI demonstration lab for SMEs) and Smart City Living Lab (real-world smart city research environment). The institution operates as part of the Faculty of Informatics at Hochschule Reutlingen, campus Böblingen.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KI Lab Region Stuttgart: AI Lab Stuttgart Region - informs SMEs and start-ups about AI potential and supports specific AI projects

Products and services

• B.Sc. Digital Business

Quantifiable outcome

• Machine Learning model for sales prediction achieved 84% accuracy using CatBoost and XGBoost algorithms
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Robert Bosch GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBosch is a major corporate partner providing practice projects, dual study opportunities, and industry insights to HHZ students. Alumni have been recruited as DevOps Engineers at Bosch IoT Cloud Services. Bosch managers participate in Industry Insights Events at HHZ.
• IBMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBM partners with HHZ for student projects, dual study positions, and recruiting. Alumni include project managers for hybrid cloud projects at IBM. IBM executives contribute to teaching and industry events.
• Porsche AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPorsche AG is a key partner through its subsidiary MHP. The company provides dual study positions and recruits HHZ graduates for various roles.
• SCHWARZ (Schwarz-Gruppe: Lidl & Kaufland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchwarz IT, the internal IT service provider of the Schwarz Group (Lidl and Kaufland), collaborates with HHZ on student practice projects, particularly in areas like inventory management and process optimization.
• Amazon Web ServicesmajorTechnology or IntegrationAWS provides cloud infrastructure expertise and technology partnerships for HHZ research and teaching programs in areas like cloud computing and digital business.
• MHP Management- und IT-Beratung GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHP, a subsidiary of Porsche AG, is a leading consulting company and major partner of HHZ. With around 4,500 employees, MHP provides consulting services along the entire value chain and recruits HHZ graduates. Dr. Ralf Hofmann, MHP's Co-Founder and CEO, serves on the HHZ Advisory Board.
• Hewlett Packard EnterprisemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPE partners with HHZ for talent recruitment and industry engagement. Alumni have advanced to Account Manager roles at HPE. HPE's advisory board representative provides governance oversight.
• CGImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGI, one of the world's largest IT and business consulting providers with over 90,500 employees, partners with HHZ for talent recruitment and student opportunities.
• SSC-Services GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSC is an IT service provider with around 200 employees at the Böblingen location. SSC provides dual study positions and treats students as equal employees, involving them in important company processes.
• Daimler Truck AGmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni from HHZ have been recruited as IT Product Owners at Daimler Truck AG, indicating partnership for recruiting and practice projects.
• SAPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAP alumni include Senior Solution Advisors and other professionals who graduated from HHZ programs. SAP executives contribute to teaching and career development.
• ZD.BB (Zentrum für Digitalisierung Böblingen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZD.BB is a central digitization hub for the Stuttgart region, initiated by the district of Böblingen along with HHZ, Software Center Böblingen/Sindelfingen, and others. Receives 500,000 euros in funding. Provides AI Lab and digital transformation support for SMEs.
• Landkreis BöblingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe district of Böblingen is a key partner in the Smart City Living Lab and ZD.BB initiatives. The district administrator serves on the HHZ Advisory Board.
• Stadt BöblingencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe city of Böblingen partners with HHZ for Smart City Living Lab research and digital transformation projects. The mayor serves on the HHZ Advisory Board.
• Wüstenrot & Württembergische AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance and financial services company partnering with HHZ for talent recruitment and student opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hochschule Esslingen: Public university in the Stuttgart region offering Wirtschaftsinformatik and computer science programs with comparable corporate partnerships (regional automotive/industry) and similar dual-study orientation.
• Hochschule Pforzheim: Nearby public university with strong Wirtschaftsinformatik and business/IT programs serving a similar Baden-Württemberg applicant pool and corporate partner ecosystem.
• Technische Hochschule Köln: Large public university of applied sciences with Wirtschaftsinformatik and digital business programs; comparable program structure though at significantly larger scale.
• Hochschule Furtwangen: Public university in Baden-Württemberg with computer science and business informatics programs, comparable faculty size and regional applied-research focus.
• Hochschule Aalen: Public university in Baden-Württemberg with business informatics and digital business programs; comparable regional ecosystem and corporate partnership patterns.
• Hochschule Konstanz (HTWG): Public university in Baden-Württemberg with Wirtschaftsinformatik and computer science programs targeted at similar student demographics and corporate partner types.
• Hochschule Darmstadt: Public university of applied sciences in Hesse with established Wirtschaftsinformatik and digital business offerings; comparable scale and applied-research orientation to HHZ.
• Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart: Public university of applied sciences in Stuttgart with overlapping focus on media, IT, and digital business; comparable in size, region (Stuttgart/Baden-Württemberg), and target student profile to HHZ.
• Hochschule Karlsruhe: Public university of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg offering Wirtschaftsinformatik and digital business-related programs with similar applied-research positioning.

Broad incumbents

• IU Internationale Hochschule: Largest private German university with extensive digital business and computer science programs offered across many campuses and via distance learning; a broader-scale incumbent that competes for the same applicant pool but at materially different scale and cost.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@HHZde
• Facebookfacebook.com/boeblingen.hhz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herman-hollerith-lehr--und-forschungszentrum
• Instagraminstagram.com/hhz_bb
• TikToktiktok.com/@hhz_bb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Herman Hollerith Zentrum