Asset Management

Our asset management is focused on three main areas:

• Equities
• Real estate
• Interest bearing instruments

Equity and interest investments are primarily made through direct investments in publicly traded Finnish and Swedish stocks and corporate bonds. Real estate investments are conducted either as direct property acquisitions or through investments in real estate and housing companies.

The mission of the Åbo Akademi University Foundation is to financially support the maintenance of Åbo Akademi University, with Swedish as its teaching language. Additionally, it aims to support and promote Finland-Swedish cultural initiatives, with a particular focus on scientific research. The foundation’s assets must be managed to generate a steady cash flow and maintain liquidity for annual disbursements in alignment with its mission. Additionally, the management strategy aims to match inflation in terms of capital growth to preserve the purchasing power of these disbursements well into the future.

The board of the foundation has established a strategic real return target of 4% per year.

Responsible Investments

The foundation aims to invest in companies that prioritise sustainable and profitable growth. Investment decisions consider not only financial factors but also environmental impact, social responsibility, and corporate governance. In practice, this means that ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria are fully integrated into the foundation’s investment strategy.

The foundation primarily invests in Finnish and Swedish companies. Nordic companies are leaders in ESG practices and consistently receive top scores in international comparisons. Research indicates that companies with high ESG ratings tend to have lower operational risks and, over the long term, generate better returns than those with lower ratings. ESG has become a major trend in the financial sector, which is set to benefit Nordic companies even more in the future. Approximately 87% of the foundation’s direct equity investments have an official MSCI rating, with an average rating of AA—the second-highest level.

The Foundation for Åbo Akademi is a member of Finsif—Finland’s Sustainable Investment Forum.