Donations

The Walter Ahlström Foundation donates €3 million to Aalto University

The donation will enable Aalto University to establish a professorship in sustainable industrial production.

“We at the Walter Ahlström Foundation have supported visionary work for the benefit of Finnish industry and the future for generations. Now Finland and the world have only a couple of decades to develop the technologies and build the markets required for industrial transformation, in order to halt environmental pollution and the overconsumption of natural resources in time. Aalto plays a key role in finding solutions, which is why we wanted to accelerate this work through our donation,” says Markku Wilenius, Chair of the Board of the Walter Ahlström Foundation.

The donated professorship will be located within the School of Engineering at Aalto University, strengthening teaching and research in industrial production, particularly in the fields of energy and mechanical engineering. At its core is a strong understanding of sustainability and its integration into industrial production and competitive industry.

The professorship will become part of Aalto University’s new House of Energy competence centre, which brings together the university’s energy-related education and research. The centre’s primary goal is to accelerate the sustainable energy transition. Read more about the donation on Aalto University’s website.

Support outstanding researchers

If you are considering making a donation or leaving a bequest to support the forest products industry, electrical engineering, power engineering, or the metal industry, please contact the Foundation’s representative. Donations are added to the Foundation’s investment assets and managed in line with its statutes and investment policy.

Funds received through donations are used, in accordance with the Foundation’s rules, to support science and research. Donors may indicate a preferred field for their contribution. Final decisions on individual grants within these areas are made by the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

News

Finnish foundations help protect Kharkiv University from power outages – donation ensures continuity for 15,000 students amid the war in Ukraine

A €73,000 donation from the Walter Ahlström Foundation and the Runar Bäckström Foundation helps secure the continued operation of Kharkiv University in Ukraine during the war, as Russia’s invasion continues to severely impact the country’s energy infrastructure.