Foundation
Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for Research in Business Administration
The Marcus Wallenberg Foundation is an independent Finnish foundation established in 1973. Its mission is to promote high-quality research and education in business and economics. The Foundation supports in particular research in management and business economics by awarding grants to doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers and research groups, as well as by funding international research collaboration. The Foundation’s activities emphasise research excellence, international engagement, and themes of relevance to the business community.
A core principle of the foundation’s work is to strengthen the quality of research and to promote international interaction. Since its establishment, the foundation has placed particular emphasis on research periods abroad, international networks and research that is also relevant to the needs of business and industry.
Over the decades, the foundation’s activities have expanded from supporting individual researchers to the long-term development of research environments and universities. The foundation has funded several significant research projects and made capital donations to Finnish business schools and universities across Finland. In this way, it has contributed to the advancement of business research and education both nationally and internationally.
Today, the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation is one of the key funders of business research in Finland. It continues to honour the legacy of its founder by adhering to its long-term commitment to strengthening Finnish business research, enhancing its international standing and fostering dialogue between academia and the business community.
By upholding the legacy of its founder, Marcus Wallenberg, the foundation has for more than five decades been a central supporter of business and management research in Finland.
Marcus Wallenberg
Marcus Wallenberg jr. (1899–1982) was a Swedish banker and industrialist who was one of the central figures of the Wallenberg family during his time. Marcus Wallenberg also maintained exceptionally close ties with Sweden’s eastern neighbour, Finland. Wallenberg served as CEO of Stockholms Enskilda Bank (later SEB) and played a significant role in the development of several international industrial companies, including Atlas Copco and Saab, in the mid-twentieth century. His work was strongly characterised by a commitment to advancing the internationalisation of the companies, and he viewed technological progress and the opportunities it created in a highly positive light.
In Finland, Wallenberg acted for decades as both an economic actor and an informal diplomatic bridge-builder. He played an important role in facilitating peace negotiations between Finland and the Soviet Union during the final stages of the Second World War, and he exerted broad influence on Finland’s industrial development in the post-war decades. In recognition of his long-standing and exceptional contributions to Finland, he was awarded the honorary title of Vuorineuvos in 1973 as the first foreign recipient. His legacy lives on in Finland above all through the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, which was established in the same year as an expression of gratitude following the conferment of the honorary title.
Prime Minister Mauno Koivisto (on the left) in discussion with Marcus Wallenberg at the opening of Atlas Copco’s new factory in Kirkkonummi in 1968.