Leif Johansson appointed Chair of Swedish Futures

"I am very honoured to have been appointed Chair of Swedish Futures. Our ambition is to set directions for Sweden in various areas, so that we can secure our role as a world-leading technology and innovation country by 2035. I look forward to continuing to strengthen the ties between the business community and academia on important societal issues," says Leif Johansson.

Where are we today? Where are we headed? Where do we want to go? 

Swedish Futures will provide answers to these three questions by analysing Sweden's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks in an international perspective – globally, within the EU and at the Nordic level. The project is being carried out with financial support from a large number of actors. Industry leader Leif Johansson, former Chair of IVA, will be Chair of the Steering Committee for Swedish Futures.

"I am very pleased that Leif Johansson has accepted the assignment as Chair. Leif Johansson's international experience, strategic ability and strong leadership will be a great asset to the project," says Professor Sylvia Schwaag Serger, President of IVA.

Steering Committee for Swedish Futures

Swedish Futures engages IVA's 1,300 fellows alongside a wide range of actors from politics, business, academia, the social partners and the public sector. The vision project is led by a Steering Committee consisting of leaders from business, academia, the public sector and civil society:

Leif Johansson, Chair
Åsa Bergman, CEO of Sweco
Katarina Bjelke, Director General of the Swedish Research Council
Robert Egnell, Vice Chancellor of the Swedish Defence University
Joel Hellermark, CEO and founder Sana Labs
Lars Hultman, CEO of the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, SFF
Darja Isaksson, Director General Vinnova (co-opted)
Jan-Olof Jacke, CEO of the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise
Johan Kuylenstierna, Director General of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
Ulrika Lindstrand, Chair of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers
Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO Volvo Group
Stefan Löfven, Chair PES, Chair SIPRI and former Prime Minister
Cecilia Malmström, Professor at the School of Business, Economics and Law at the School of Business, Economics and Law and former EU Commissioner
Marie Nilsson, Chair of IF Metall
Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President and CEO of Chalmers
Mia Phillipson, co-director SciLifeLab, Professor Uppsala University
Diana Saleh, IVA's Student Council
Pia Sandvik, CEO of Teknikföretagen
Hanna Stjärne, CEO of the Nobel Foundation

About Leif Johansson

Leif Johansson holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology and is one of Sweden’s most distinguished industrial leaders. Over the course of his career, he has served as President and CEO of Electrolux and Volvo, and as Chair of the Board of AstraZeneca and Ericsson.

He is an honorary doctor at Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Gothenburg, and Blekinge Institute of Technology, and has received numerous honours, including H.M. The King’s Medal (12th size in the Order of the Seraphim ribbon), the Chalmers Engineer Association’s Gustaf Dalén Gold Medal, and IVA’s Gold Medal. Leif Johansson has been a fellow of IVA since 1994 and served as its Chair from 2012 to 2017.