Kone Foundation condemns the Russian war in Ukraine – here’s how we support Ukrainians

Kone Foundation condemns Russia’s hostilities in Ukraine and expresses its support and sympathy to all Ukrainians. We also express our sympathy to the Russians suffering oppression and persecution in Russia.  

We have illuminated our headquarters in Lauttasaari Manor with blue and yellow as a sign of support for Ukraine.  

Our mission is to foster freedom in research and the arts. We support independent academic and artistic work, even in this difficult situation. 

We support Ukrainian researchers and artists

Kone Foundation is supporting researchers and artists fleeing the war in Ukraine by offering grants and residencies with additional funding of nearly 400,000 euros. With this special funding, Kone Foundation seeks to alleviate the suffering and distress caused by the war in Ukraine.  

Kone Foundation has awarded special funding to the visitation programmes that accommodate researchers from the Baltic countries, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine at the Helsinki Collegium of Advanced Studies and to the Scholars at Risk programme of the Turku Institute of Advanced Studies. Additional places were awarded to ongoing programmes for a total of seven researcher years. The awarded institutions will recruit researchers through their networks in the same manner as their regular visitation programmes. Read more on on the Helsinki Collegium of the Advanced Studies here.

Kone Foundation’s residences, Saari Manor in Mynämäki and Lauttasaari in Helsinki, will receive artists from Ukraine, and additional funding has been provided for their residencies.  

The Foundation’s statutes do not allow humanitarian aid to be provided to Ukraine. 

• The Board of Kone Foundation awarded an additional EUR 396,900 in grants at its meeting on March 14, 2022.  
• Read more about Emergency Residencies, a collaboration carried out by Saari Manor with Helsinki International Artist Program, Frame Contemporary Art Finland and Connecting Points
• The Foundation will continue to pay grants to grantees living in Russia who are working amidst oppression and persecution. Kone Foundation complies with the sanctions imposed on Russia by Finland and the EU and will monitor any changes to them.  
• Kone Foundation has no grantees in Belarus.
• Kone Foundation has no institutional cooperation with Russian or Belarusian state universities, agencies or other organisations.  
• Shares account for more than 90% of Kone Foundation’s holdings. Of these, domestic holdings account for about 90%. Kone Foundation directly or indirectly owns approximately 11% of the shares in Kone Corporation and 3% of the shares in Cargotec. The Foundation also has a portfolio of variable investments, in which the share of securities related to Russian business is very small. Kone Corporation and Cargotec Corporation are listed companies that announce any possible changes in their operations independently. Investor communications are regulated by the Securities Markets Act.  
• Kone Corporation’s press release on its operations in Russia
• Cargotec’s FAQ on its operations in Russia

We support our grantees  

War can also affect the work of our grantees, and we try to be more flexible than usual in such cases. The Foundation will do its best to continue paying grants to its recipients residing in Russia.  

Even working in a safe environment can be complicated by worry and anxiety. We believe that academic and artistic work will improve the world, and it is worth continuing. However, if the work becomes impossible, we can discuss modifying your work plan or suspending the grant.  

Please inform us about a potential suspension of the grant and other changes in the grant system. Please remember to report any changes to Mela as well.  

You may contact us via the messages function of the grant service, by e-mail (koneensaatio@koneensaatio. fi) or by telephone (09 260 0617, Mon–Thu from 11 am to 3 pm). You may also contact Kalle Korhonen, Director of Science and Art Funding (kalle.korhonen@koneensaatio .fi), directly.