Highlights

At a time when major and increasingly complex challenges can rarely be solved by a single actor alone, the need to build bridges between business, academia, and the public sector has become more evident than ever. The foundation’s role as an independent arena, where decision-makers and experts from different fields can genuinely meet and exchange perspectives, is therefore more important than ever. That is according to Kia Orback Pettersson, Chair of the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation for just over a year.

This year, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation Scholarship is awarded to three new students, enabling them to pursue their studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. The long-term ambition remains the same: to strengthen Sweden’s presence within the Union and to address the country’s underrepresentation in the EU institutions.

On August 20, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation celebrated forty years together with nearly 200 guests from business, academia, and the public sector. The evening became a reminder that the Foundation’s greatest asset over the decades has been its network — the people who contribute to constructive conversations and progress, year after year.

For 40 years, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation has brought together leaders from business, academia, and the public sector to foster insights and collaboration that strengthen business development and competitiveness. In a time marked by uncertainty and rapid change, the need for knowledge-sharing, reflection, and cooperation has become increasingly clear. Here, the foundation plays an important role.

The world is changing rapidly. The geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts now reshaping the global order carry profound consequences for Swedish and European companies operating internationally. To examine these changes and contribute to a focused analysis of where we stand and where we are heading, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation is arranging a series of two seminars. The first was held on 8 June.

The Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation and the Stockholm School of Economics have collaborated for several decades. The partnership began in the late 1980s with a scholarship program that introduced the American case method to Sweden, an educational approach that is now widely used across Swedish universities and colleges. Since then, the collaboration has gradually evolved into a broader partnership focused on research, public policy, and knowledge exchange, with initiatives such as the House of Governance and Public Policy, the K-A Bonnier Center for Governance, and the establishment of the Nordic region’s first Master of Public Policy program.

When Karl-Adam Bonnier founded the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation that bears his name, the ambition was to contribute to the long-term development of Swedish business. Forty years later, much has changed since the foundation was established, yet its mission remains just as relevant today. Here, Karl-Adam reflects on the original idea behind the foundation and why it
continues to matter.

Mental health problems among children and young people are on the rise, while Sweden’s school health and wellness teams struggle with chronic understaffing and an unclear mandate. Now that the government commission on improving school health has put forward its proposals, the question is no longer what needs to be done, but how it will be carried out in the everyday life of schools. On May 5, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation gathered decision-makers, researchers, and key stakeholders for an in-depth conversation on the path forward.

What happens when journalism students learn to write for academia rather than for readers, when aspiring officers are better prepared to write a thesis than to lead in the field, and when new graduates lack the practical skills the labor market demands? Are these signs of problems within individual programs, or of something larger? These were among the questions at the heart of an in-depth dinner conversation hosted by The Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation, in partnership with the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum, bringing together decision-makers from academia, business, and the public sector to discuss the role of practice-based knowledge in higher education.

How can Sweden strengthen its competitiveness, resilience and ability to act in a time of growing geopolitical tension? That was the starting point when the Karl-Adam Bonniers Foundation brought together decision-makers from business, politics, public agencies, and academia for an in-depth dinner discussion on Swedish infrastructure and industrial policy.

How is Sweden perceived around the world, and what role does the country’s international reputation play for trade, security and competitiveness in a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty? When the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation gathered around thirty trade counsellors from foreign embassies in Sweden for its annual salon dinner, Sweden’s international image and the country’s new national brand strategy were at the center of the discussion.

On December 3, the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation hosted a roundtable discussion on how the tax system can be designed to better support the development of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Since the major tax reform of 1991, the system has grown increasingly complex through various deductions, excise duties, and differentiated VAT rates. The discussion therefore focused on the principles that should guide future tax reforms to strengthen entrepreneurship, innovation, and economic growth.

How can Sweden strengthen its representation in the institutions of the European Union? This question was at the center of a lunch discussion hosted by the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation in collaboration with the College of Europe.

How can Sweden strengthen its export and investment promotion in times of rising geopolitical uncertainty and an intensifying global race in industrial policy? That was the focus when the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation and the Stockholm School of Economics brought together decision-makers and experts for the seminar “Team Sweden 2.0 – What should it be?”

As societies grow more complex, the natural response often seems to be more laws and tighter regulation. But is political regulation always the best solution or can stakeholder-driven self-regulation sometimes offer a more effective and sustainable path forward? This was the central question at a recent seminar hosted by the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation, where decision-makers, researchers, and experts came together to discuss the issue. The evening underscored that Sweden has several strong track records of successful stakeholder-driven regulation.