Chalmers' donors

New cutting-edge research and education are made possible, as well as investments in facilities and staff, thanks to all the donations made over the years by friends of Chalmers – alumni, private individuals, foundations and companies.

Rune Andersson, successful business leader and entrepreneur and one of Chalmers’ greatest supporters of all time. In 1968 he graduated with a Master’s degree in civil engineering and has remained involved with Chalmers, including as a major sponsor of the Student Union in the construction of the new Student Union building and, in particular, the university’s largest auditorium. For many years, Rune Andersson’s scholarship and grant programme supported technologists who wanted to extend their education with a Master’s degree in economics/law at an international university. His generous donations to the Student Union and scholarships and grants have constituted a highly valued service to Chalmers and in particular to Chalmers students.

Since 2007, Sievert Larsson’s charitable foundation, The Sievert Larsson Scholarship Foundation, has helped over a thousand needy young people in Thailand to access a better education. Each year, a number of Thai students are awarded scholarships to study for a Master’s degree at Chalmers. Sievert Larsson was awarded the Chalmers Medal in 2018. The commendation included the fact that over the years he had not only invested in the scholarship holders’ education but had also given them valuable international contacts and spread awareness of Chalmers around the world.

Conny Kullman is an alumnus from Chalmers, E74, who has been active in the satellite industry for many years. He started his career at SAAB Space before moving to the USA and eventually taking over as CEO of Intelsat. Conny and Lena have both been strong supporters of Chalmers over the years and after returning to Sweden they decided they wanted to give back by funding a mentoring program for master's students. They are also early donors to our initiative on scholarships to cover the tuition fees for overseas students.

Over the years, Dan Sten Olsson has dedicated himself in a unique way to Chalmers’ research and teaching in the areas of business development, ship design, environmental technology, offshore technology and biotechnology. In 2007, he was awarded an honorary doctorate at Chalmers University of Technology for his outstanding contribution as a prominent, innovative and entrepreneurial industry leader. On the occasion of Dan Sten Olsson’s 70th birthday, Stena donated SEK 3 million to Chalmers Ventures.

The Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture has made an invaluable difference to Chalmers and supported the university in a number of areas. The foundation was established in 1996 on the occasion of shipowner Sten A Olsson's 80th birthday. Donations have been extensive, with many initiatives including the establishment of the Stena Industry Innovation Laboratory and support for the Physical Toys experimental workshop. In 1997, the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture made a donation of SEK 51 million, laying the ground for the Chalmers Innovation Foundation, which now houses the Founders Loft, Chalmers Ventures and the Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship in the Vasaområdet on the Johanneberg campus.

The Promobilia Foundation was founded in 1965 by physician Per Uddén to develop an electric wheelchair, what later became Permobil. The leading idea was that people with disabilities should be able to move around on their own. After a successful international establishment, the foundation has continued to support research for disabled people. Chalmers has received several grants for research in biomedical engineering. 

The IngaBritt and Arne Lundberg Research Foundation awards grants to medical research on cancer, kidney disease and orthopedics. The purchase of apparatus, aids and equipment is prioritised, and the foundation has since the start distributed more than SEK 900 million in grants. Several researchers at Chalmers have received grants over the years.

Husband and wife team Barbro and Bernhard Osher are well-known philanthropists, and Barbro represents the Pro Suecia Foundation, which donated a million dollars to Chalmers in 2007, equivalent to about SEK 6 million. The purpose of the donation was to give researchers the opportunity to visit some of the top-ranked universities in the USA and to encourage greater exchanges between higher education institutions. It was later decided that these funds could also be used for scholarships and grants for American Master’s students. To date, the donation has provided scholarships and grants to some 50 researchers and four American students.

The purpose of the Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation is to promote research and education in the natural sciences and photography. The connection between Chalmers and Hasselblad is particularly strong through the Onsala Space Observatory. The land where the telescopes stand was donated to Chalmers by the Hasselblad couple in 1975 and Onsala's new visitor center has received generous grants for the purchase of exhibition materials. Chalmers has also received support in the form of five visiting professors in astronomy, space geodesy and geodynamics as well as funds to support the further qualification of female researchers.

Arne and Elsa Adamsson bequeathed all their assets to Chalmers to support research in medical technology – an area that they agreed was a perfect fit for them both. Arne was a Chalmers alumnus, graduated in Electrical Engineering in 1956 and worked as an engineer throughout his professional career. Elsa was a nurse at Sahlgrenska Hospital for over 30 years. The Adamssons’ generous donation is being used to build next-generation medical technology systems for magnetoencephalography (MEG), a neuroimaging technique that maps brain activity by recording magnetic fields produced by electrical currents in the brain.

Sune Sandqvist (V71) was a Chalmers-trained Master’s graduate in civil engineering. He began his career with a thesis on leaking concrete cracks in multi-storey car parks. After his studies, he developed an innovative technical solution, crack-free concrete floor structures, and the pre-stressed concrete truss system took shape. When he died, his family and friends set up a fund to commemorate his work and inspire future generations to follow in his footsteps. The fund is designed to award scholarships to students writing theses on the topic of concrete.

Chalmers graduate Arne Sjögren was passionate about technology and science throughout his life. He was born on 3 May 1940 in Gothenburg, the son of two primary school teachers. In 1968, he graduated from Chalmers with a Master’s degree in Engineering Physics, and his fellow students testify that the Chalmers community was of enormous importance to him. In his will, he bequeathed a donation to the university in the form of an annual prize for the most innovative nano-related doctoral thesis.

The Mary von Sydow Foundation was established in 1944. Mary von Sydow née Wijk hailed from a family of merchants and entrepreneurs in Gothenburg. The foundation supports Chalmers Mästarlärare (Master Teachers), a concept within the framework of Chalmers’ teacher training where existing secondary school teachers can share their knowledge while getting the opportunity to improve their skills.

The Herbert and Karin Jacobsson Foundation was founded by Mrs Karin Jacobsson (née Broström) and her husband Herbert Jacobsson in 1947 in Gothenburg. The Foundation promotes scientific research, teaching and education, and supports charity work for the needy. Chalmers has received grants from the Foundation for student projects in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University (PSU). Funding from the Foundation enables increased international cooperation and more students to visit PSU.