IVA’s birth

IVA is Sweden’s second youngest royal academy at the same time as it is the oldest academy of engineering sciences in the world, formed in 1919.

The reason for its late birth is that the engineering profession did not start to be universally recognised until the end of the 1800s. A need arose at that time to demonstrate the importance of technical research in contrast to the established academic research.

Forerunners to IVA were the Swedish National Federation of Industry (Sveriges Industriförbund), formed in 1910, and the National Board of Trade’s industry division (Kommerskollegiets industribyrå), which began operating in 1912. But it was not until the fuel problems became acute in the middle of the World War I that plans to form an academy of engineering sciences gained momentum.

A crucial and decisive event was when Conservative leader Arvid Lindman suggested to Parliament in a bill in 1916 that a State research institute for power and fuel issues should be created. Parliament reacted favourably and referred the matter in due course to a number of administrative authorities, including the National Board of Trade.

But the Board of Trade’s industry division already had a committee working on the fuel issue, focusing in particular on the use of peat. Independently of Arvid Lindman’s proposal, the committee had come up with the idea of creating a fuel institute.

The head of the industry division was Axel F. Enström. He soon realised that a State-run institute was not the most appropriate format because of possible conflicts with the activities of the State-owned hydropower company Vattenfall. It was also important to expand the institute’s sphere of activities to include engineering sciences research in general.

In view of the above it is easy to see that an academy of engineering sciences would soon be created. The concrete proposal came in a letter from the National Board of Trade on 16 March 1918. Parliament gave its approval.
Then things moved quickly. On 24 October 1919 the Government appointed a chairman, vice chairman and a president. An academy of engineering sciences was born

IVA’s first President was the above mentioned Axel F. Enström.