Hochschule Mainz
Hochschule Mainz's img – Institut für Mediengestaltung is a public German university research institute within the Department of Design, focused on applied audiovisual and interactive media design research, public exhibitions, and the Time-Based Media BA/MA program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersMainz, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hochschule Mainz does
Hochschule Mainz (University of Applied Sciences Mainz) is a state-funded German university (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) under the jurisdiction of Rhineland-Palatinate. Its img – Institut für Mediengestaltung operates as a research institute within the Department of Design (Fachbereich Gestaltung), concentrating on applied research and project-based education in audiovisual and interactive media design, including film/TV, 2D/3D animation, VR/AR/XR, sound design, media facades, 360-degree applications, generative design, and transmedial storytelling. The institute is closely integrated with the Time-Based Media BA/MA degree program, which produces graduates employed at German public broadcasters ZDF, SWR, and ARTE.
The institute's portfolio centers on a series of public exhibitions (Moving Types, Sound of Lisbon, Sound of Amman, Sound of Venice, FLORA), the biennial MOTYF International Festival of Motion and Interaction Typography (rotating across Warsaw, Mainz, Dublin, and Wellington), and digital knowledge-transfer products including the Moving Types Archive (over 800 international moving image works) and the World Texts VR application. Proprietary technical assets include an interactive media facade on the Gutenberg-Museum, a custom iOS/Android Moving Types augmented-reality catalogue app, and 360-degree audio systems developed in-house. The institute operates the LUX Pavillon as a dedicated public exhibition and event venue in Mainz and co-develops projects with partner museums including Gutenberg-Museum, Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz, and Kunsthalle Mainz.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: state institutional funding from Hochschule Mainz, competitive third-party research grants (predominantly from DAAD for international collaborative projects, with additional support from the Auswärtiges Amt and other foundations), consulting and advisory fees for project-based engagements, and modest direct sales of academic publications (€15.95–€29.90 per title). The institute's go-to-market is community-led, relying on public events, exhibitions, festival programming, alumni networking (Future Media Talks), and academic publication rather than commercial sales channels. The operating footprint spans Germany with international collaborative nodes in Poland, Portugal, Jordan, Macao, Italy, Mexico, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Hochschule Mainz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hochschule Mainz
- Legal name
- Hochschule Mainz
- Website
- https://img.hs-mainz.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hochschule Mainz's img – Institut für Mediengestaltung is a public German university research institute within the Department of Design, focused on applied audiovisual and interactive media design research, public exhibitions, and the Time-Based Media BA/MA program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hochschule Mainz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Applied Media Research
- NAICS
- Museums (712110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Hochschule Mainz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mainz
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hochschule Mainz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Public Research Funding and Third-Party Project Funding: As a university research institute, img receives institutional funding from Hochschule Mainz and pursues third-party funded research projects with public institutions and industry partners. Projects are co-developed and co-funded with partners including the DAAD, German Federal Foreign Office, and various foundations.
- Consulting and Advisory Services: The institute offers consulting services based on research results, presented through public lecture series, scientific symposia, exhibitions, and publications. Revenue is generated through project fees for advisory and consulting engagements.
- Publication Sales: The institute publishes and sells books, catalogues, and multimedia eBooks documenting its research and exhibitions. Publications include the Moving Types catalogue, Sound of Lisbon, and others, sold at price points ranging from €15.95 to €29.90.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hochschule Mainz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hochschule Mainz, through its Institut für Mediengestaltung (img), delivers a publicly funded academic program in Time-Based Media (BA/MA) alongside applied research in audiovisual and interactive media design. Core activities include producing award-winning international exhibitions (Moving Types, FLORA), city-themed Sound of... transmedia projects (Lisbon, Amman, Venice), the biennial MOTYF International Festival of Motion and Interaction Typography, and curated documentary film series. The institute operates the LUX Pavillon as a public exhibition venue and maintains the Moving Types Archive of 800+ international moving image works.
Product overview
Hochschule Mainz's Institut für Mediengestaltung (img) operates as a research and educational institution focused on audiovisual and interactive media. The portfolio centers on exhibition-based experiences (FLORA, Moving Types, Sound of Venice/Lisbon/Amman series), cultural festivals (MOTYF International Festival, Video Poetry Week), and the Time-Based Media BA/MA academic program. These offerings are interconnected through shared themes of sound, typography, and transmedia storytelling, with student projects often feeding into public exhibitions and vice versa. The institute maintains international partnerships and operates the LUX Pavilion as its exhibition venue.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LUX Pavillon: The exhibition and event pavilion of Hochschule Mainz, located at Ludwigsstraße 2, 55116 Mainz. Used for showcasing student and institute projects.
Products and services
- Time-Based Media BA/MA Program University degree program covering film/TV production, 2D/3D animation, interactive design, game development, augmented and virtual reality, and sound design, closely interwoven with the institute's applied research and practical projects at the Institut für Mediengestaltung.
- FLORA Exhibition Multimedia exhibition exploring the relationship between humans, health and nature, based on the historical herbal 'Gart der Gesundheit' (1485). Weaves together historical knowledge, scientific findings, and current issues on climate change and biodiversity through interactive, artistic and sensory stations.
- Moving Types Exhibition Award-winning international traveling exhibition exploring typography in motion from the beginnings of film to the digital age, featuring an interactive media facade that allows passersby to project SMS messages, augmented reality components, and over 800 international moving image works documenting animated typography.
- Moving Types Archive Digital archive containing over 800 international moving image works documenting the history and development of moving typography across all media contexts, from early film to AR/VR/AI applications, including interviews with international designers and film professionals.
- MOTYF Festival International Student Festival of Motion and Interaction Typography held biennially at rotating locations including Warsaw, Mainz, Dublin, and Wellington, featuring eWorkshops, eSymposium, and international media exhibition bringing together students, researchers, and professionals.
- Sound of Amman International collaboration project with the German-Jordanian University featuring documentaries, short films, experimental works and live concerts exploring Amman's hidden music and soundscapes.
- The Sound of Lisbon Transmedia project exploring Lisbon's sonic identity through short films, installations, and photographs, including a 360-degree audio system and collaborations with Portuguese universities.
- The Sound of Venice Exhibition Audio-visual exhibition exploring Venice's sonic identity through compositions, sounds, films, and experiences with artists, choirs, and the city's acoustic environment, produced in collaboration with Conservatorio Castelfranco and featuring virtual tour capability.
- Future Media Talks Networking event series connecting students, alumni, and media partners from Hochschule Mainz, creating bridges between academic study and professional practice in media industries, featuring keynotes, panels, and speed-dating sessions with industry figures from ZDF, SWR, and independent producers.
- World Texts VR Application Interactive VR experiment using head-mounted displays to create contemplative typographic spaces; the 'Panta Rhei' example features excerpts from meditation texts in weightless typographic environments with interactive controller-based text manipulation and synchronized audio design.
- Video Poetry Week Annual video poetry festival established at LUX Pavillon documenting meetings with poets through videopoetic works.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 800 works in the Moving Types Archive spanning over 10 years of collection
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hochschule Mainz
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hochschule Mainz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature5 records
Hochschule Mainz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.
- DAAD – Deutscher Akademischer AustauschdienstcoreThe German Academic Exchange Service provides funding for international collaborative projects between img/Time-Based Media and partner universities in Mexico City (UNAM), Lisbon (Universidade Lisboa), Amman (German-Jordanian University), and Macao (St. Joseph's University). Projects funded include Sound of Lisbon, Sound of Amman, Corona Global Break, and Porto Cartography.
- Gutenberg-Museum, MainzcoreThe Gutenberg-Museum is a primary exhibition partner, collaborating on major projects including the Moving Types travelling exhibition, World Texts VR installations, and the FLORA multimedia exhibition (2026). The museum and img share a joint museum building with the Naturhistorisches Museum Mainz.
- ZDF – Zweites Deutsches FernsehensignificantZDF participates in Future Media Talks events as a media partner, with ZDF executives delivering keynotes and alumni networking panels. Graduates of the Time-Based Media program are employed at ZDF in production roles.
- UNAM – Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico CitysignificantUNAM's Escuela Nacional de Artes Cinematográficas participates in international collaborative audiovisual projects including Corona Global Break and other transmedial initiatives led by img.
- Universidad Lisboa, PortugalsignificantUniversidade Lisboa collaborates on the Sound of Lisbon project and international transmedial arts research, with students and faculty from the Faculty of Fine Arts and Multimedia/Art Department participating in joint projects.
- German-Jordanian University, AmmansignificantThe German-Jordanian University collaborates on the Sound of Amman remote directing project, connecting students in Amman and Mainz for documentary and experimental film production.
- St. Joseph's University, MacaosignificantSt. Joseph's University Macao participates in the Corona Global Break international collaborative audiovisual project alongside universities in Mexico, Lisbon, Mainz, Rome, and Amman.
- Polish-Japanese Academy of Computer Technologies, WarsawcoreA founding partner of the biennial MOTYF International Festival alongside img and IADT Dublin. Collaborates on the German-Polish Bauhaus.workshop and Future Text research platform. Prof. Ewa Satalecka serves on the MOTYF Board.
- SWR – SüdwestrundfunksignificantSWR is an industry partner and employer of Time-Based Media graduates. The relationship supports student placement and industry connections for the media design program.
- FUNK – Content-Netzwerk von ARD und ZDFminorFUNK, the content network of ARD and ZDF, is listed as a cooperation partner, suggesting involvement in media content collaboration and talent development.
- Naturhistorisches Museum MainzcoreCo-host of the FLORA multimedia exhibition (May–August 2026) together with Gutenberg-Museum and Hochschule Mainz, exploring the relationship between humans, health, and nature.
- Deutsche Filmakademie Produktion GmbHsignificantSupports scenic film projects led by Prof. Daniel Seideneder, providing professional production infrastructure and connections to the German film industry alongside funding from the Federal Foreign Office.
- Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch GmündcoreCo-founder of the z zg Zentrum Zeitbasierte Gestaltung alongside Hochschule Mainz, a joint teaching, research, and development institution focused on communication, animation, and interaction in real and virtual spaces. Prof. Ralf Dringenberg serves as co-director.
- Haus des Erinnerns – Für Demokratie und Akzeptanz, MainzsignificantCollaborates with img on media exhibitions addressing democratic values, remembrance culture, and societal issues, including the 'Rechts. Extrem. Gefährlich' documentary film series.
- Kunsthalle MainzminorArtistic partner for exhibitions including 'Virtual Insanity' featured in the Talk on Immersion series, expanding the institute's reach within the Mainz cultural ecosystem.
- Weltkulturenmuseum, Frankfurt am MainminorCollaborated on audiovisual exhibitions and projects documented in the img archive, extending institutional reach beyond Mainz to the Frankfurt museum landscape.
- Film- und Medienforum Rheinland-PfalzminorRegional media industry support organization in Rheinland-Pfalz that works with img on promoting media education and industry development in the state.
- Film- und Medien-Nachwuchsförderung Rheinland-PfalzminorRegional organization supporting young talent in film and media in Rheinland-Pfalz, complementing img's educational mission in the state.
- Conservatorio Castelfranco, ItalysignificantCollaborated on The Sound of Venice exhibition (May 2025), creating works exploring the sonic identity of Venice in partnership with Hochschule Mainz's Sound Design and Film Directing programs.
- IADT – Institute of Art, Design and Technology, DublincoreFounding MOTYF Festival partner alongside Warsaw and Mainz. Prof. Dr. Hilary Kenna serves on the MOTYF Board. Represents the Irish node of the international moving typography research and festival network.
- descom – Designforum Rheinland-PfalzminorRegional design forum in Rheinland-Pfalz providing a platform for design collaboration and industry engagement in the state where Hochschule Mainz is located.
- ZIRP – Zukunftsinitiative Rheinland-PfalzminorRheinland-Pfalz future initiative supporting regional innovation and development, with img contributing media design expertise to the regional innovation ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hochschule Mainz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture: Nordic university merging art, design, and media research with strong audiovisual and exhibition design programmes — comparable as a European research university producing international exhibitions and applied media design work.
- HEAD – Genève (Haute école d'art et de design): Geneva-based arts university with programmes in visual communication, cinema, and digital media — comparable as a European applied arts institution with exhibition-based research and design education.
- ECAL – École cantonale d'art de Lausanne: Swiss art and design school renowned for moving image, typography, and media design — comparable as a European applied arts university producing exhibitions, publications, and applied research in time-based media.
- Bauhaus-Universität Weimar: German university combining art, design, and media studies with strong faculty of media — directly comparable as a German university with applied media design, exhibition design, and VR/AR research programmes.
- ZHdK – Zürcher Hochschule der Künste: Switzerland's largest arts university with leading programmes in cast/audiovisual media, design, and film — comparable as a German-speaking European arts university with strong media design, exhibition, and knowledge-transfer activities.
- Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK Berlin): One of Germany's largest and most prestigious arts universities, with programmes in film, sound, and design — operates at greater scale than img but covers the same audiovisual, exhibition, and media-design space.
- Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd: Co-founder of zzg Zentrum Zeitbasierte Gestaltung alongside Hochschule Mainz's img institute, with shared focus on time-based media, animation, and interaction design — directly comparable as a German university of applied sciences with media design programmes.
- ENSAD – École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs: French national school of decorative arts with programmes in graphic design, video, and multimedia — comparable as a European applied arts institution producing exhibitions and applied media design research.
Broad incumbents
- MIT Media Lab: World-leading university research lab for media technologies, with deep VR/AR/XR and generative design work — comparable as an academic media research institute but at substantially larger scale and tech-industry orientation.
- Royal College of Art: Premier UK postgraduate design school with programmes in visual communication, animation, and moving image — comparable in research orientation and exhibition output but operates at much larger scale and broader scope than img.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hochschule Mainz social profiles
Digital presenceHochschule Mainz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hochschule Mainz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Hochschule Mainz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hochschule Mainz 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 Hochschule Mainz
What does Hochschule Mainz do?
Hochschule Mainz, through its Institut für Mediengestaltung (img), delivers a publicly funded academic program in Time-Based Media (BA/MA) alongside applied research in audiovisual and interactive media design. Core activities include producing award-winning international exhibitions (Moving Types, FLORA), city-themed Sound of... transmedia projects (Lisbon, Amman, Venice), the biennial MOTYF International Festival of Motion and Interaction Typography, and curated documentary film series. The institute operates the LUX Pavillon as a public exhibition venue and maintains the Moving Types Archive of 800+ international moving image works.
Is Hochschule Mainz a public or private company?
Hochschule Mainz is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Hochschule Mainz founded?
Hochschule Mainz was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hochschule Mainz based?
Hochschule Mainz is headquartered in Mainz, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Hochschule Mainz make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Public Research Funding and Third-Party Project Funding is the primary driver. The others are consulting and Advisory Services and publication Sales.
Who are Hochschule Mainz's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, HEAD – Genève (Haute école d'art et de design), ECAL – École cantonale d'art de Lausanne, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, ZHdK – Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK Berlin), Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd and ENSAD – École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs. Broad incumbents are MIT Media Lab and Royal College of Art.
Does Hochschule Mainz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hochschule Mainz.
What industry is Hochschule Mainz in?
Hochschule Mainz's product category is Higher Education and Applied Media Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAM, Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking), with a secondary code of MPAGALAB, Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses). Its NAICS code is 712110 and its SIC code is 7812.