"We return to the questions with new perspectives"

As the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation celebrates its 40th anniversary, CEO Tor Bonnier highlights one of the defining characteristics of the organization: its long-term perspective and ability to recognize patterns over time. Questions re-emerge and become relevant again. During the 1990s, collaboration between academia, business, and the public sector was a major focus. This was followed by a period shaped by globalization and specialization. Today, in a more complex and uncertain world, the need for collaboration has once again moved to the forefront.

– Organizations move on, people change, and priorities shift. As a foundation, we can serve as an institutional memory and help revive ideas, knowledge, and solutions that have been discussed before.

This continuity, the ability to revisit and reassess key issues through new perspectives, is one of the foundation’s greatest strengths. Its long-term perspective also creates the freedom to ask open-ended questions without the pressure of delivering immediate answers.

– The opportunity lies in being able to think freely and ask, “what if.” Not everyone has the space or permission to do that within their professional roles. Many organizations need to chase funding or demonstrate concrete results. We can allow ideas and initiatives to evolve over time.

This freedom is closely tied to the foundation’s independence. By remaining outside political cycles and focusing on the long-term development of business and competitiveness, the foundation can bring together people and organizations that might not otherwise meet.

An independent platform focused on renewal

At the core of the foundation’s work are not individual policy issues, but the process itself: creating environments where people from different backgrounds can meet, reflect, and challenge each other’s perspectives.

– The foundation is nonpartisan and independent, which means we are not advancing our own agenda. Instead, our role is to bring together experts and decision-makers who would not otherwise meet, to discuss shared challenges. It is exciting to be in the room when participants experience those “aha” moments and discover new insights.

Over the years, the foundation has contributed to initiatives ranging from the development of Sweden’s corporate governance framework to the creation of House of Governance and Public Policy and the Nordic region’s first Master of Public Policy program at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Remaining relevant as a foundation over time is never guaranteed. One important factor behind the organization’s continued renewal has been its working model. Since its founding, the board has been renewed each term, while the network has continuously expanded and evolved. The result is a broader and more engaged network spanning business, academia, and the public sector, with participants contributing different perspectives on current challenges and opportunities.

– Our network is our greatest asset, and the seminars have become a successful model for creating impact and driving change, despite being a relatively small organization. We constantly keep our ear to the ground to identify important issues that require dialogue and collaboration.

Looking toward the next 40 years

With four decades behind it, the foundation is now looking ahead. The ambition is to remain a curious and independent actor with the ability to bring together diverse perspectives on issues that are critical to Sweden’s future competitiveness and development. At the same time, the international dimension is becoming increasingly important.

– Many of the issues we work on develop within an international context. With a long-term perspective, it therefore becomes natural to look beyond Sweden as well. In 40 years, I hope we are still just as curious and continue working on issues connected to our society and Sweden’s competitiveness, but with a stronger international outlook and even deeper engagement within our networks.