Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg

What Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg does

The Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW) is a public higher education institution established in 2019 and legally constituted as part of the Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) at the Bildungscampus in Heilbronn. Its mission is to serve as a competency center for intersectoral interface work and governance, operating in the narrow niche of training and researching how leaders from the public sector, the private sector, and the third sector (civil society) cooperate on complex societal problems such as energy transition, mobility, healthcare, affordable housing, and integration. The institution was founded by the State of Baden-Württemberg, the employers' association Südwestmetall, the Dieter Schwarz Stiftung, and the Robert Bosch Stiftung with a committed €3.5 million envelope through 2023; the founding premise is that these three sectors operate with distinct resource logics and action patterns, and that competence gaps in cross-sector methods impede effective solutions.

ISoG BW's core product is the Executive Programme Intersectoral Governance, a 12-month extra-occupational certificate programme structured as six four-day block modules (five optional for €7,500, six for €9,000) that awards 30 ECTS credits through a Diploma of Advanced Studies issued by DHBW. The institution complements the executive programme with applied research projects (HumanFactor, Bridge-AB, CaringCommunity-IMPACT, Local Climate Governance), a Consulting service line (ISoG BW Consult, including process facilitation and method-toolbox deployment), an open-access Working Paper Series, a podcast catalog, public discourse events, and a 18-fact-sheet method toolbox built on its proprietary ISoG BW Cycle framework (phases: Initiate, Start, Orient, Shape, Evaluate & Transfer). All research is applied rather than algorithmic — qualitative interviews, focus groups, panel surveys, document analysis, and art-based research methods — and ISoG BW operates only one integration (meetergo for appointment scheduling); no AI/ML capability is disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid of (1) patron grant funding from the state and three foundation partners that covers the institution's cost base and an 8-person core team, (2) participant tuition from a small annual cohort of employer-seconded executives, and (3) project-based grant income from third-party funders such as Interreg Alpine Space. Distribution is B2B2C: employers must nominate and typically second their staff for admission, and delivery occurs through direct in-person blocks at venues in Baden-Württemberg and via the DHBW CAS institutional channel. Customer segments are deliberately three-way — public sector (ministries, municipalities, agencies), private sector (companies requiring cross-sector skills), and third sector (NGOs, charities, social enterprises) — with alumni and discourse events intended to maintain cross-sector network effects over time.

Name

Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg

Legal name

Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW)

Website

https://isog.dhbw.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg is a public higher education institution offering a 12-month Executive Programme in intersectoral governance, training leaders from public, private, and third sectors in cross-sector cooperation, complemented by applied research, consulting, and public discourse on societal challenges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education and Governance Research

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Open Courseware & Course Modules (OCW) (EDAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Executive education programs
• Intersectoral governance training
• Applied governance research
• Leadership development services
• Process consultation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Heilbronn

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Funding: The organization is funded through grants from the State of Baden-Württemberg, the Dieter Schwarz Stiftung, Südwestmetall (employers' association), and the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Total financial volume of 3.5 million Euros until 2023.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg (ISoG BW) is a public competency center for intersectoral interface work and governance. It delivers a 12-month extra-occupational Executive Programme in Intersectoral Governance (six modules awarding a Diploma of Advanced Studies with 30 ECTS) for leaders from the public, private, and third sectors, complemented by applied research and consulting services, the ISoG BW Cycle methodology, public events, working papers, podcasts, and a method toolbox.

Product overview

ISoG BW operates as a competency center for intersectoral interface work and governance, offering a unified portfolio anchored by the Executive Programme Intersectoral Governance—a 12-month certificate programme for professionals across public, private, and third sectors—complemented by applied research and consulting services, the ISoG BW Working Paper Series (open-access publications), podcasts featuring expert interviews, and the ISoG BW Werkzeugkasten (method toolbox) with downloadable fact sheets for intersectoral cooperation. The organization also hosts public events and discourses for intersectoral networking and maintains a comprehensive archive of past lectures and publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Executive Programme Intersectoral Governance: A 12-month extra-occupational certificate programme qualifying leaders from public, private, and third sectors for intersectoral collaboration, offering Diploma of Advanced Studies with 30 ECTS or certificate of attendance.

Products and services

• Executive Programme Intersectoral Governance A 12-month extra-occupational certificate programme bringing together professionals from the public sector, private sector, and third sector to learn intersectoral leadership and governance skills through six block-study modules, awarding a Diploma of Advanced Studies (30 ECTS).
• Applied Research and Consulting (ISoG BW Consult) Applied research projects and consulting services for public, private, and third-sector organisations, including stakeholder dialogues, process facilitation, ISoG BW Consult offerings, process consultation with the method toolbox, and case studies of intersectoral cooperation successes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Diploma of Advanced Studies (30 ECTS credit points) awarded upon successful completion of all six modules
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DHBW Center for Advanced Studies (DHBW CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ISoG BW is an integral part of the DHBW Center for Advanced Studies, sharing infrastructure, accreditation, administrative services, and the DHBW institutional framework. DHBW issues official certificates and Diplomas of Advanced Studies.
• Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology Austria (BMK)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the HumanFactor project (Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2026), funded by Interreg Alpine Space. BMK is collaborating with ISoG BW and other partners to address the human factor in sustainability transitions across the Alpine region.
• Protect Our Winters Austria (POW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the HumanFactor project (Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2026), funded by Interreg Alpine Space. POW collaborates with ISoG BW and other partners to address the human factor in sustainability transitions.
• Oxalis SCOPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the HumanFactor project (Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2026), funded by Interreg Alpine Space. A French cooperative organization collaborating with ISoG BW on addressing human factors in sustainability transitions.
• Centre for Social Investment and Innovation (CSI), University of HeidelbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner in the Local Climate Governance pilot project (since Dec. 2021), investigating negotiation and governance in local climate policy across seven large towns in Baden-Württemberg.
• Design Impact Transition Platform / Dutch Research Institute for Transitions (DRIFT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project partner in 'Consulting as an Academic Practice' (May 2024 – May 2025), investigating new roles in the transdisciplinary spectrum between scientific research, consulting, and action-oriented research.
• Stadt SinsheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with the city of Sinsheim in the Bridge-AB project (Sep. 2024 – Sep. 2026), developing and implementing strategies for skills-based employment of Ukrainian refugees through cross-sectoral stakeholder dialogue.
• Haus der Parität, HeilbronnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner site for the Caring Community (CC-IMPACT) project (March 2026 – March 2028), studying an intersectoral arrangement combining housing, community center, dining, daycare, and assisted living services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sciences Po: A major French university and grande école with deep offerings in public policy, European affairs, and governance. Comparable as a much larger, established institution whose executive programmes and research compete for the same cross-sector leadership audience across Europe.
• Harvard Kennedy School: A leading global school of public policy offering executive education for senior government, nonprofit, and private-sector leaders. Comparable as a benchmark for the type of cross-sector leadership training ISoG BW delivers, but at a vastly larger scale and global footprint.
• Blavatnik School of Government (University of Oxford): An Oxford graduate school focused on government, policy, and public leadership with executive programmes for senior officials. Comparable in mandate (training public leaders and conducting governance research) but operates at global scale versus ISoG BW's regional German focus.

Direct peers

• Hertie School: A Berlin-based private university offering master's and executive education in public policy, governance, and international affairs. Directly comparable as a German executive-education competitor focused on training public-sector and policy leaders, although it is broader in scope than ISoG BW's intersectoral focus.
• Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer: A German public university specializing in administrative sciences, legal studies, and public management with a strong executive-education programme for civil servants. Closely comparable as a publicly funded German institution training public-sector leaders, though without the explicit three-sector framing.
• NRW School of Governance: An initiative of the University of Duisburg-Essen dedicated to interdisciplinary governance research and executive education in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comparable as a state-level governance school targeting public, private, and civil-society actors with research-based training offerings.

Emerging players

• Centre for Social Investment and Innovation, Heidelberg University: A research center at Heidelberg University studying social investment, civil society, and governance. Already an existing cooperation partner of ISoG BW in the Local Climate Governance project, and comparable as an academic unit producing applied research on cross-sector governance themes.
• DRIFT – Dutch Research Institute for Transitions: A research institute at Erasmus University Rotterdam focused on sustainability transitions and transdisciplinary governance. Already a joint project partner with ISoG BW in 'Consulting as an Academic Practice' and comparable in its action-oriented, cross-sector research approach.
• Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Umwelt (HfWU): A Baden-Württemberg university of applied sciences with programmes in business, sustainability, and environmental management. Comparable as a regional peer institution operating under the same state higher-education framework and addressing sustainability and cross-sector challenges in the same geography.

Others

• Indo German Centre for Sustainability: A research center where Prof. Dr. Monika Gonser previously served as visiting scientist. Comparable as a thematic adjacency in sustainability and transdisciplinary research, but operates internationally rather than as a direct German competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isogbw

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Intersectoral School of Governance Baden-Württemberg