The foundation of Gambro in 1964 provided the infrastructure for mass-producing disposable artificial kidneys, an invention that transformed blood dialysis. Holger Crafoord leveraged capital from his tenure at Tetra Pak to establish this medical technology firm, shifting his career focus from food packaging to the industrial scale development of life-saving extracorporeal medical devices.
Early Career at Åkerlund & Rausing
After graduating from the Stockholm School of Economics in 1930, Crafoord began his professional life at the packaging firm Åkerlund & Rausing. He served as the company's managing director from 1946 until 1968 and held the position of chairman of the board from 1968 to 1972. During his time there, the firm established Tetra Pak in 1950. Crafoord eventually divested his holdings in the company, generating the necessary capital to finance his subsequent venture into the healthcare sector.
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In 1961, Crafoord met Professor Nils Alwall, who had been researching artificial kidneys and dialysis since the 1940s. Previous filtration methods were cumbersome and required intensive cleaning between uses. Utilizing his background in plastics and manufacturing, Crafoord established Gambro—initially named Gamla Brogatans Sjukvårdsaffär AB—to produce and commercialise disposable filters. By 1981, the company expanded into heart-lung products and blood component technology used for cancer treatment.
Philanthropy and Academic Contributions
Crafoord established the Crafoord Foundation in 1980, which provides funding for the Crafoord Prize, an award initiated in 1982 to complement Nobel Prize categories and support research into arthritis. His academic affiliations included membership in the Society of Sciences in Lund and the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund. He was also the founder of the Holger Crafoord Economics Center, later integrated into the Lund University School of Economics and Management. In recognition of his contributions, Lund University awarded him honorary doctorates in economics in 1972 and medicine in 1976.
Fast facts
- Born: 1908, Stockholm
- Died: 1982, Lund
- Education: Stockholm School of Economics
- Founder of: Gambro
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star: 1974
- Buried at: Ödestugu Church
- Spouse: Anna-Greta Crafoord
Questions readers ask
What medical advancement did Gambro commercialise?
Gambro commercialised the disposable artificial kidney filter, facilitating more efficient dialysis treatments.
What is the purpose of the Crafoord Prize?
Established in 1980, the prize supports scientific research in fields not covered by the Nobel Prize, specifically including arthritis research.
Achievements
- Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star — 1974
- Educated at Stockholm School of Economics