APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090022-2
The Ministry of Industrial Affairs directs the Atomic Energy Board (AEB), whose functions are to advise the government on all matters pertaining to atomic energy, to plan for the development of atomic energy within the framework of the country's energy supply and requirements, to handle international cooperation in the field of atomic energy, and to deal with legal and safety questions. The AEB also makes recommendations to the Ministry of Industrial Affairs concerning appropriations of funds to the Atomic Energy Company, which was formed by the government and industry in 1947. The government assumed full ownership of the company in 1969. The company administers applied research and the atomic energy program; it also supports a significant amount of basic research in certain key areas of nuclear energy development. Basic nuclear research is supported by grants from the Atomic Research Council of the Ministry of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs. The nuclear power program is directed by the Swedish State Power Board of the Ministry of Commerce.
The Ministry of Agriculture directs agricultural and veterinary research institutes, including the State Veterinary Institute, Skara. Also subordinate to the ministry is the National Environmental Protection Board and its research committee. The Institute for Water and Air Pollution Research, Stockholm, was established in 1951 and is jointly supported by industry and the government. In 1970 the institute established the Foundation for Water and Air Pollution Research to reduce sharply the country's environmental pollution while retaining the industry's international competitiveness. The Ministry of Local Government and Communications directs the Meteorological and Hydrological Institute and the National Geotechnical Institute, both in Stockholm.
Coordination of both the national and international space programs is carried out by the State Delegation for Space Activities, which was appointed in July 1972 to replace the Space Research Committee. The latter, a joint committee of the STU, the Natural Science Research Council, and the Medical Research Council, resigned in protest against inadequate funding of the space program. The Swedish ESRO Committee, established in 1964, represents various ministries, the space research community, and industry, in the international organization.
A significant part of research, particularly fundamental research, is carried out in facilities for science and medicine of the universities which are operated by the government through the Ministry of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs. The technical universities, also under the ministry, conduct considerable research with emphasis on the applied aspects. University research is supported by the national research councils, by various foundations, and by industry, as well as by funds directly appropriated by the government for the operation of the universities.
Several academies of science act as private sponsors in various areas of scientific development. All of them dispense public and private funds for research and for Swedish participation in international scientific and cultural conferences. Two academies are particularly influential; the Royal Academy of Sciences (KVA), founded in 1793, and the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), founded in 1919. Both academies are substantially private organizations, but receive a small amount of support from the government. Since 1947 a large part of the KVA's income has been derived from the printing of calendars, almanacs, and certain related publications; this source of funds was abruptly withdrawn in July 1972, and the government is considering a direct subsidy to replace the lost funds. The IVA's funds are derived mainly from industrial support. Although there is considerable overlap in their interests, membership, and activities, essentially the KVA promotes the basic sciences, while the IVA promotes research in engineering sciences to further industry and to improve utilization of natural resources. The KVA contributes to science planning and offers advice on science policy. It maintains an excellent scientific museum and library and directs several institutes in various parts of the country, the most important of which is the Nobel Institute, Stockholm, which is financed by the Nobel Foundation. The KVA awards the Nobel prizes in chemistry and physics. Membership in the KVA is restricted, and election to the academy is considered a high honor of scientific recognition by one's peers. The IVA's membership is larger than the KVA's, its resources are greater, and its activities are more diverse. It has a number of committees embracing virtually all engineering specialties, and it sponsors a variety of symposia, seminars, and publications. IVA shows with the STU the responsibility for selecting and administering Sweden's counterpart to the U.S. program of scientific attaches.
Industrial research is growing rapidly. A number of industrial enterprises have well-equipped laboratories and competent research staffs of their own. The greater part of industrial research and development is carried out within the big companies, especially the wood, pulp, paper, telecommunications, steel, and
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200090022-2
