The HES-SO works in cooperation with numerous higher education establishments at a national and international level.

The term “partnership” is reserved for collaborations between the HES-SO and external partners. The HES-SO has many research project partners who come from many different backgrounds:

• SMEs: small and medium-sized enterprises are important partners for the HES-SO and complement its activities ideally. In general, SMEs are only rarely involved in applied research processes, but they participate actively in the development and industrialisation stages. The UASs therefore support them in their innovation processes.
• Research centres, institutes, laboratories, academies, workshops, etc. (e.g. CERN)
• Universities in Switzerland and abroad
• Museums, banks, insurance companies, cooperative societies, and sometimes even producers of luxury goods etc., and other large companies
• Public institutions, national and cantonal departments

National projects

There are numerous national projects in each of the six fields of study of the HES-SO: Engineering and Architecture, Business, Management and Services, Health, Social Work, Design and Fine Arts and Music and Theatre.

International projects

At an international level, cooperations are especially active within Europe. Increased participation in the framework programmes in the European Union administered by Euresearch enables the HES-SO to increase its European partnerships in all its fields of study.
The projects can be seen on the websites of the various HES-SO colleges.