OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

Name

OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

OST - Ostschweizer Fachhochschule

Website

https://ost.ch

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Applied research
• Continuing education
• University degree programs
• Technology transfer services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapperswil

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding (Cantonal and Federal): Core funding from Swiss cantonal governments and federal government for degree education and basic research activities.
2. Tuition Fees: Semester fees charged to students for degree programs and continuing education courses.
3. Research Grants and Contracts: Third-party funding from Swiss innovation agencies (Innosuisse, SNF), industry partners, and government programs for applied research projects.
4. Continuing Education Programs: Revenue from professional development courses, CAS, MAS, DAS programs for working professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OST delivers higher education (Bachelor and Master degree programs) and continuing professional education (CAS/DAS/MAS) across architecture, health, computer science, social work, engineering, and business disciplines. It also conducts applied research through 27+ specialized institutes and thematic clusters, offering contract research, consulting, and technology-transfer services to industry partners and public-sector clients.

Product overview

OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule (Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences) is a multi-disciplinary university offering Bachelor and Master degree programs across Architecture, Health, Computer Science, Social Work, Engineering, and Business. It operates as a platform of research institutes and thematic clusters alongside its educational offerings. The core products are its degree programs (Bachelor/Master) and continuing education (CAS/DAS/MAS), which are supported by a network of over 27 research institutes — including IFS (Software), I3 (Interactive Informatics), INS (Networks & Security), ICOM (Communication Systems), IMES (Microelectronics), ICE (Computational Engineering), ESA (Electronics), IET (Energy Technology), SPF (Solar Technology), ILT (Lab Automation), and IPEK (Product Design) — and thematic clusters such as Klimacluster (climate), Kompetenzcluster Sektorkopplung (sector coupling), Kompetenzzentrum Fuss- und Veloverkehr (active mobility), and KLEO (rural development). The Swiss PIC Technology Transfer Center, inaugurated November 2025, is a notable facility for photonic integration research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klimacluster: Themencluster focusing on climate solutions, bringing together knowledge from 27 research and development institutes of OST for interdisciplinary collaboration on climate strategies.
• Kompetenzcluster Sektorkopplung
• Kompetenzcluster Ländliche Entwicklung Ostschweiz (KLEO)
• Kompetenzzentrum Fuss- und Veloverkehr

Products and services

• Bachelor and Master Degree Programs Undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at three campuses (Buchs, Rapperswil-Jona, St.Gallen) for prospective students seeking higher education in technical, scientific, business, and social disciplines.
• Continuing Education Programs (CAS, DAS, MAS) Continuing-education certificates, diplomas, and master's programs for working professionals seeking to upgrade skills or gain new qualifications through part-time study, available in blended (in-person and online) formats.
• Applied Research and Contract Research Services Contract research, consulting, and joint technology-development projects delivered by OST research institutes (IFS, I3, INS, ICOM, IMES, ICE, ESA, IET, SPF, ILT, IPEK, IWK) to industry partners, innovation agencies, and public-sector clients.
• Swiss PIC Technology Transfer Center Manufacturing centre providing high-precision photonic microchip assembly infrastructure, expertise, and processes with industry-standard connectors for companies developing light-based microchips; photonic integration can account for up to 70% of total production costs.
• Klimacluster Climate Strategy Services Interdisciplinary climate research and strategy development services for companies and municipalities, focused on Net Zero pathways; includes Climate Lunch and Learn webinars and conferences.
• Kompetenzcluster Sektorkopplung Services Sector coupling advisory and research services linking heat, electricity, and mobility for 100% renewable energy transition, networking OST institutes with external partners.
• Kompetenzzentrum Fuss- und Veloverkehr Services Advisory services for regions, cities, and municipalities on active mobility planning, including impulse consulting, knowledge database, and second opinions on pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
• Kompetenzcluster Ländliche Entwicklung Ostschweiz (KLEO) Services Advisory and research services promoting circular economy and sustainable development in rural areas of Eastern Switzerland, focusing on demographic change, income, and spatial-infrastructure conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Technology Readiness Level 6 target by 2028 for recycled glass fiber upcycling
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026EPFL collaborates with OST on the Verretex project for upcycling short recycled glass fibers into reinforcement-grade thermoplastic composites. The project aims to achieve TRL 6 by 2028 with funding from Innosuisse.
• Verretex SAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026Verretex SA is the lead recipient of Innosuisse funding for the glass fiber upcycling project. OST and EPFL serve as research collaborators, providing scientific expertise and testing capabilities for the methodology development.
• Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023PSI is a co-founding partner of the Swiss Photonics Integration Center (Swiss PIC), established in 2023 at Park Innovaare. OST collaborates with PSI on photonic integration research and technology transfer, providing expertise and infrastructure for companies developing light-based microchips.
• Swissphotonics AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Swissphotonics is a co-founding partner of Swiss PIC along with OST, PSI, and industry companies Ligentec and Polariton Technologies. The association represents the Swiss photonics industry and research community.
• LigenteccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Ligentec is a co-founding partner of Swiss PIC, contributing industry expertise in photonic integration alongside OST, PSI, and Swissphotonics.
• Polariton TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Polariton Technologies co-founded Swiss PIC with OST, PSI, and other partners to provide infrastructure for photonic microchip development and manufacturing.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOST collaborates with ETH Zurich on research projects including heat pump technology development with Lindt & Sprüngli, where OST's Institute for Energy Systems (IES) works alongside ETH researchers on refrigerant mixtures.
• Kanton St.GallencoreOthersKanton St.Gallen supported the establishment of the Competence Center for Pedestrian and Cycling Traffic (Kompetenzzentrum Fuss- und Veloverkehr) at OST, providing funding and political backing for the initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Regional players

• University of St.Gallen (HSG): Located in OST's home canton and a regional peer for talent and industry links, but operates as a research university focused on management/economics rather than as a multi-disciplinary Fachhochschule.

Broad incumbents

• Technical University of Munich (TUM): Major European technical university combining strong engineering/applied-research institutes with industry collaboration. Comparable in research-institute structure and tech-transfer ambitions, though at much larger scale than OST.
• EPFL: Federal research university collaborating with OST on the Innosuisse-funded Verretex glass-fiber upcycling project — comparable in technology/research domains but vastly larger in scale and global standing.
• ETH Zurich: Switzerland's flagship federal research university. ETH operates at much larger scale and prestige but collaborates with OST (e.g., heat-pump research with Lindt & Sprüngli) and competes for top students and researchers.

Direct peers

• FHNW - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland: Multi-campus Fachhochschule in Northwestern Switzerland combining degree programs, applied research institutes, and continuing education — the closest structural and operating analog to OST.
• SUPSI - University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland: Italian-speaking Swiss Fachhochschule with the same HFKG framework, applied-research mandate, and continued-education portfolio as OST, making it a comparable peer across the national Fachhochschule network.
• BFH - Bern University of Applied Sciences: Swiss Fachhochschule with comparable discipline mix (engineering, health, business, social work) and a similar cantonal multi-campus model, providing a like-for-like peer for OST's profile.
• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Swiss Fachhochschule focused on continuing professional education and applied research with multiple departments; comparable to OST's CAS/MAS portfolio even if smaller in full-degree enrollment.
• HSLU - Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts: Swiss Fachhochschule offering Bachelor/Master and continuing education with applied research departments. Comparable in size, public funding model, and regional mandate to OST.
• ZHAW - Zurich University of Applied Sciences: Another Swiss University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule) offering Bachelor/Master and continuing education programs with strong applied research, directly comparable to OST in mission, funding model, and disciplinary breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hsrwebmaster
• Facebookfacebook.com/ostschweizerfachhochschule
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ost-ostschweizer-fachhochschule
• Instagraminstagram.com/ostschweizerfachhochschule

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences