IVA’s Gold medallists 2023

The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) awards Håkan Samuelsson, Anders Blom, Annica Bresky and Anna Wedell with gold medals. They receive the award for their outstanding achievements in technology, economics, business and society. IVA's Gold Medal has been awarded since 1921.

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Published: 26 September 2023 Last Updated: 26 September 2023

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(Photo: Stora Enso, Simon Åslund, Tomas Johansson, Great Story, Stefan Zimmerman, KI)

– This year's medallists have made outstanding achievements in aeronautics, the automotive industry, precision medicine and the forest industry. The gold medallists are all IVA Fellows and an important part of our academy, which for over 100 years has worked for technology in the service of humanity, says Tuula Teeri, president of IVA.

Jury citations for IVA’s Gold Medals 2023

Civil engineer Håkan Samuelsson is awarded IVA's Great Gold Medal for his unique leadership in the automotive industry in developing Volvo Cars AB. Håkan Samuelsson's contribution means that Sweden has its own car manufacturing which is also an international leader in the development of electric cars, which plays an important role for the Swedish economy.

Professor Anders Blom is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for his outstanding achievements in Swedish and international aeronautics as a researcher and research leader in material fatigue and structural mechanics with broad industrial application, and as long-term leader of the strategic innovation program Innovair since its inception.

Civil engineer Annica Bresky is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for her forward-looking leadership in industries in change. Not least in the forest industry, where she has contributed with a tireless focus on implementing processes that strengthen the strategies. She is a leader who takes advantage of cultural differences, innovation, new business models and has the power to lead the necessary transformation processes.

Professor Anna Wedell is awarded IVA's Gold Medal for her efforts in developing bioinformatics tools and cross-disciplinary working methods that have resulted in precision medicine for rare hereditary diseases being used in various disease areas, which has led to the prevention of severe disease conditions or early death.

IVAs Great Gold Medal

For more than a century, IVA has celebrated excellence in technology, economics, business and society by awarding Gold Medals to people who, through their outstanding achievements, have helped to create a better society.

IVA's Great Gold Medal is awarded to the person who has made a particularly outstanding deed within the academy's field of activity.

Learn more on IVAs Gold Medals

IVA's Gold Medal

IVA's Gold Medal is awarded for meritorious work within the academy's field of activity.

IVA’s Great Gold Medal 2023: Håkan Samuelsson

In ten years civil engineer Håkan Samuelsson managed to reverse the negative trend for the Swedish national treasure Volvo. Under Samuelsson's unifying leadership, reputation and international competitiveness were regained, cultural challenges linked to Chinese ownership were bridged, and production could be kept in Sweden. In addition, Volvo took a prominent position in the most important transition for the automotive industry in 100 years – the transition to electric.

IVA’s Great Gold Medal 2023: Håkan Samuelsson

IVA’s Gold Medal 2023: Annica Bresky – innovation leader with the forest as a tool

Civil engineer Annica Bresky, supported by her personal motto "The future grows in the forest", has led the development towards making the forest industry an important part of the solution to fighting climate change and strengthening biological diversity.

IVA’s Gold Medal 2023: Annica Bresky – innovation leader with the forest as a tool

IVA’s Gold Medal 2023: Anders Blom

Engineer Anders Blom has been decisive for Sweden's ability to maintain its position as one of the world's most prominent aviation nations, through more than 40 years of work in Swedish aviation. Not least by his contribution to building the strategic innovation program that has given Sweden a place at the table when it comes to international cooperation in the aviation industry.

IVA’s Gold Medal 2023: Anders Blom

IVA’s Gold Medal 2023: Anna Wedell

Medic and research leader Anna Wedell has created completely new conditions for discovering and treating thousands of rare diseases. By developing new tools for mapping individual patients' genes and establishing unique collaborations between research and healthcare, she has made ground-breaking breakthroughs in individually tailored so-called precision medicine.