Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg Quality Fund

The Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg Quality Fund annually awards a grant for quality related research, teaching or development.

The Quality Fund grant is awarded to a researcher or a teacher who has achieved success in quality related research or teaching. The grant can also be awarded to a person who has successfully developed, researched or given training in quality within industry. The quality award can also be given to an organisation. The Fund is administered by Aalto University School of Science.

• Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg
• The constitution of the Quality Fund
• The Quality Fund grant committee
• Applying for the grant

Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg

Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg is a firm advocate of quality improvement, assessment and systems. Throughout his long career in industry and as a speaker in numerous events, he has highlighted the importance of quality as a competitive edge in a company’s strategy, actions and products.

While working in Sweden in the 1980’s Sundberg noticed that the local companies invested in quality more that their Finnish counterparts. During his career he has observed that the meaning of quality is not obvious to everyone. Is “good enough” quality something that can be successful in the future? Matti Sundberg believes that consistent quality thinking should permeate an organization from top to bottom, from the leadership to the company floor, and outwards to the subcontractors. Industries differ from each other but there is competition in all fields and quality is of great importance if a company wants to be and remain successful.

To promote Vuorineuvos Sundberg’s views on quality thinking already within the education of future leaders, and to encourage quality related research, a quality fund that annually awards a grant for success in the field of quality was established in 2002 to be administered by the Helsinki University of Technology.

The constitution of the Quality Fund

The name of the fund is Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg’s Quality Fund.

The fund was founded in honour of Matti Sundberg’s 60^th Birthday. The equity capital consists of 10 000 euro donated by Matti Sundberg and a 1000 Nokia shares donation. In 2008 the fund received a 10 000 euro donation from Scan Auto Oy. The fund may also accept other donations.

The fund annually awards a grant to an Aalto University teacher or researcher who has achieved success in research or education regarding quality. The amount of the grant can be the amount of the annual profit from the fund at maximum, but in principle no more than 5000 euro. In special cases the grant can be split between several receivers. The grant may also be given to a person outside of Aalto University who has achieved success in quality themed development, research or education. The quality award may also be given to an organisation. The application process for the grant is published in the beginning of September.

A committee consisting of an expert member appointed by Matti Sundberg and 3-4 other members appointed by the Dean of the School of Science makes a proposal to the Dean on the receiver of the scholarship. The scholarship is awarded by the decision of the Dean of the School of Science.

NOTE: This is a translation from the original “Säännöt” in Finnish. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between these two versions, the Finnish version shall prevail.

The Quality Fund grant committee

By the decision of the Dean of the School of Science the Quality Fund committee during the period 1.1.2016-31.12.2018 is:

• Chair of the committee, Chairman of the board, Antti Zitting, Sacotec Oy
• Professor Kalevi Ekman, Aalto University School of Engineering
• Professor Paul Lillrank, Aalto University School of Science
• CEO Veli-Matti Mattila, Elisa Oyj
• Secretary, Coordinator Pirjo Peippo-Lavikka, Aalto University

Applying for the scholarship

The Vuorineuvos Matti Sundberg Quality Fund grant is open for application annually in September.  

The announcement is published on the Aalto University website and is sent to other Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences.

The receiver/s of the scholarship will be informed of this in the beginning of the following year. Other applicants will be notified via mail or e-mail the day after the ceremony.

The grant is awarded in a ceremony organized by the Technology Academy Finland (TAF).