Finland to get world’s first professor of ownership

Finland is due to get the world’s first professor in ownership when Aalto University launches the professorship next year.

The new endowed professorship is established with donated funds, to promote high-quality academic research and teaching as well as Finnish ownership expertise and the culture of ownership

Ownership is an integral part of the market economy, and the significance of understanding it is emphasised by the international mobility of capital. The digitalisation of the economy also increases the potential role of different ownership forms.

According to , the new professorship will play a key role in producing academic research related to ownership and also popularizing it to support societal debate and decision-making.

“There is surprisingly little top-level research on how ownership impacts the operations and success of companies as employers, taxpayers and engines of growth. The new professorship fills this gap and also serves as a pioneer in research and teaching related to the theme of ownership in Aalto’s internal networks as well as national and international networks,” Timo Korkeamäki, Dean of the School of Business at Aalto, said in a statement.

The original idea for the professorship came from Tero Luoma, who has written a book on ownership. Together with Lari Raitavuo, one of the owners of Ensto Invest, they set out to find supporters for the professorship.

“As a young family business owner, I want to keep developing into a better owner. Knowledge-based on research data and the best international practices brings important expertise to a practical level,” Raitavuo said.

The new professorship will be established with donations from several organisations, foundations, companies and individuals. All of the following have already supported the professorship with donations: the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Fund, the Saastamoinen Foundation, the Finnish Foundation for Share Promotion, Family Business Network, the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Oras Invest, Ensto Invest and Foundation for Private Entrepreneurs.
More information on donations and an updated list of donors can be found here 

“Openings of this kind are vital to Finland during these difficult times. They bring hope for the future,” said Petteri Karttunen, the Chairman of the Board of the Saastamoinen foundation.

Photo by Dom Fou on Unsplash