Beckmans College of Design has a new form of ownership. The former private-limited company is now becoming foundation-owned.
This is done to secure the college's long-term operation as a non-profit organizations and university college. The thirteen founders have added a capital of more than SEK15 million to the foundation, thus giving the college the potential to continue to provide research and training of the highest quality within design and communications.
New competence
The founders are Susanne Beckman, Agnès Rosa Beckman, IKEA of Sweden, Marc O’Polo, Kjell and Märta Beijers stiftelse, IDR Scandinavia AB, Lowe Brindfors, H&M AB, Föreningen Beckmans Designhögskola, Familjen Robert Weils Stiftelse, Daniel Sachs Stiftelse, KING and Forsman & Bodenfors.
"Beckmans College of Design has a long tradition as a leading trainer in communication, fashion and form. For us, like all the founder, it is of utmost interest to have access to labor with this competency. It was an easy decision for us to join as co-founders," says Erik Sollenberg, CEO Forsman & Bodenfors.
The capital injection will provide Beckmans' greater opportunity to recruit staff, to modernize and to develop the college.
"Beckmans College of Design's aim is and has always been voluntary - to develop the best possible education for the students. Then a foundation is a more suitable form of ownership," says Daniel Sachs, chairman of the Foundation Beckmans College of Design. "It is important that there is a free design college that can secure the competitiveness of Sweden already has within the creative industries," he added.
Cilla Robach, the college's principal since 2013, is very positive to the change.
"It is an important step that Beckmans School AB now becomes a foundation. The commitment of the founders and their broad expertise within product design, fashion and visual communications will ensure the continuous high quality of our education programs, also in the long term. With our unique pedagogy, we have great opportunities to educate designers who independently and actively affect our common future!"
New board
A new board has also been appointed in connection with the change of ownership form.
"Beckmans' represents top training within communications, fashion and product design. These fields that Beckmans provides education within will become even more central to business and society in the future and to be part of this next phase in the development of the college is very exciting", says Lars Strannegård, principal of the Stockholm School of Economics and incoming chairman of Beckmans College of Design AB.
The college's new board consists of Lars Strannegård, chairman, Charlotte Gyllenhammar, Frank Hollingworth, Ann-Sofie Johansson, Mathilda Tham and Maria Veerasamy.