Sten A Olsson Foundation
Encouragement of Research, Culture and Humanities
For the benefit of Research and Culture in western Sweden
Since 1996, the Stena Foundation has provided support and donations for research and cultural projects in Gothenburg and the western region of Sweden amounting to SEK 560 million.
The main focus is on innovation, technical developments, and entrepreneurship, but funding has also gone to ground-breaking multidisciplinary projects in the fields of medicine, science, social science, and the humanities. Some examples of major commitments are the foundation of the business incubator Chalmers Innovation, the Stena Industry Innovation Lab (SII-Lab) at Chalmers University of Technology, the visualisation lab at Universeum (Vislab), and projects at Ågrenska, Sweden’s national centre of competence for rare diseases, and to three projects which involve the quality of life for children and young adults.
Support from the Foundation has contributed to culture and fine arts in the region. Through the years, the Sten A Olsson Foundation has awarded 161 talented persons with culture scholarships. Many of these individuals have later gone on to achieve international fame.
Support from the Stena Foundation can truly make a difference.
Madeleine Olsson Eriksson, Chair of the Sten A Foundation for Research and Culture
Board and Organisation
How it all began
The Sten A Olsson family has always been keen to support creative individuals in their efforts to realize their goals. The Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture was founded in 1996 by the shipping magnate Sten A Olsson on his 80th birthday. At that point in his life, Mr. Olsson had been active for more than half a century in the region of Gothenburg and western Sweden, laying the foundation for what is today the Stena sphere, one of Sweden’s largest family-owned corporations.
Guided by the principles of the Foundation – to promote research and development within science and technology, all areas of art, culture and the liberal arts and sciences – more than SEK 560 million has been donated over the years.
This has been beneficial for scientific research projects in various fields and has also enriched the cultural scene in western Sweden. Initiating and supporting projects that promote growth is the cornerstone of the Sten A Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture.