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Knowledge and expertise

For more than 100 years the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) has been a meeting place for Sweden’s future. IVA builds bridges between the business community, the public sector, academia and the political sphere. We bring together the expertise and experience of about 1.300 Academy fellows and 250 member companies.

IVA is an easily accessible expert body, independent of individual interests, ideologies and party politics. The Academy is financed through grants from the business community, foundation funds and direct government funding.

Vision

IVA’s vision is “Technology in the service of humanity”. We believe in and work for the ability to make a positive contribution to society through technical and economic science.

Mission

According to the Academy’s mission statement, IVA is to “...promote the engineering and economic sciences and the development of industry for the benefit of society.” IVA has a unique position to act as a catalyst for the transition to a long-term competitive and sustainable society.

The more than 1.000 Swedish fellows, are divided into twelve divisions with different focusing in various fields within engineering and economics:

Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building and Construction, Mining and Materials, Management, Basic and Interdisciplinary Engineering Sciences, Forest Technology, Economics, Biotechnology, Education and Research Policy, and Information Technology. 

Foothold in the business community

The Business Executives Council ensures that IVA has a foothold in the business community. The Council’s members – private and public sector companies and organisations – are an important part of IVA.

The Business Executives Council has about 250 member companies and organisations from both the industrial and service sector. Both private enterprise and public sector organisations are involved.

A strong foothold in the business community is essential for the work that the Academy does. The members’ expertise and experience is important to the Academy’s development. The annual membership fee is an important source of revenue to ensure IVA’s long-term funding.

IVA offers many opportunities for knowledge transfer and for members to exchange experiences outside their own company or industry. 

Building bridges

Building bridges

The Academy is an open and transboundary forum; an independent academy that builds bridges between the research, business and political spheres.

IVA creates interfaces between different areas of expertise, between regions and across national borders. We believe it is in meetings between people that new ideas and knowledge are born.

Over the course of a year, the Academy arranges over 100 meetings, seminars, workshops, hearings and field trips around Sweden and abroad.

Takes a stance

IVA influences development in society by driving a scientific and fact-based debate. Sweden’s competitiveness and sustainable development are key focus areas. 

The projects are an important part of IVA’s work and often last for one or two years. They involve a combination of meetings, seminars, field trips, reports and debates. The projects act as catalysts and platforms for new knowledge – and the process is often at least as important as the end-product.

Awards

The Academy recognises and rewards important work in natural sciences, engineering and economics.

IVA awards its Great Gold Medal in recognition of “outstanding achievements in the Academy’s fields of activity.” Past medallists include business leaders as Hans Dahlborg, Sune Carlsson, Antonia Ax:son Johnson and Professor Assar Lindbäck.

IVA Gold Medal recipients include Martin Lorentzon, Lena Olving, Niklas Zennström, Professor Bodil Jönsson and Professor Maria Strömme.