The world needs researched information and thought-provoking art.
The Sakari Alhopuro Foundation promotes and supports medical research, biodiversity, entrepreneurship as well as cultural and social well-being in Finland.
The Foundation specifically supports young doctors, so that they might have the opportunity to conduct research already during their studies and immediately after graduating. Art grants are also intended mainly for artistsin the early stages of their careers.
Medical Science
The foundation supports high-quality medical research by awarding grants in accordance with annually decided focus areas. In 2026, the grants will focus on research on interactions between microbes and humans.
Nature
More research data is needed about the impacts of climate change on our planet’s future. The Foundation seeks to advance an understanding of the biodiversity of nature as a means of promoting a more sustainable use of our natural surroundings.
Art
The Foundation supports Finnish art and culture in accordance with varying criteria that are decided on annually. In 2026, the grants will be awarded to artists who address aspects of climate change, biodiversity loss or the state of Finnish nature in their work.
The Foundation's grant recipients have now been published
In 2026, grants totalling nearly one million euros were awarded to medical and natural science researchers and artists. The Foundation warmly congratulates the grant recipients and thanks all applicants!
Sakari Alhopuro:
THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS FOUND IN HELPING OTHERS
‘What is the purpose of life? As a doctor, I have often considered that the purpose of life is found in helping others’, states Sakari Alhopuro, founder of the Foundation.
Blogs
Get to know the work of researchers and artists by reading our blog!
Behind the Art: Viivi Saikkonen
According to photographic artist Viivi Saikkonen, art can challenge existing structures, convey knowledge, evoke emotions and bring joy into life. She is currently producing a mini-series based on videos filmed by her biologist parents, focusing on Antarctica and climate change research.Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis also need ophthalmologic care
Uveitis, a chronic inflammation of the eye, is a serious comorbidity of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) that, if left untreated, can compromise the vision. Treatment of the disease requires the expertise of both a paediatric rheumatologist and an ophthalmologist. Therefore, it is important to develop the co-operation between these specialists and establish common practices.Behind the Art: Eliya Zweygberg
Finnish sculptor Eliya Zweygberg seeks through her art to draw attention to the human relationship with nature and animals. Her upcoming exhibition UN:WANTED, created together with visual artist Laura Iisalo, explores interspecies empathy and its absenceArticles
Sari Essayah, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry: The catchment areas of the Archipelago Sea may be excluded from the manure exception
Talk is underway about making the controversial livestock manure exception in the Phosphorus Decree permanent. However, a change to the manure exception included in the Government Programme is now being considered which would exclude the catchment areas of the Archipelago Sea from the Decree exception. This would make it possible for the Archipelago Sea to finally be deleted from HELCOM’s Hot Spot list.Sari Multala, Minister of Climate and the Environment: Further collaboration is needed to restore the state of the Archipelago Sea
Minister Sari Multala, a former World Champion sailor who has enjoyed summers at sea throughout her life, has personally witnessed how the state of the Archipelago Sea has worsened. According to Multala, the work done to save the Baltic Sea has been productive, but further collaboration is still needed to restore the state of the Archipelago Sea, in particular.Wega Group's biorefinery will reduce the phosphorus load in the Archipelago Sea
According to official sources, approximately 460 tonnes of phosphorus enter the Archipelago Sea each year. A biorefinery planned in Southwest Finland is expected to significantly reduce agricultural phosphorus loads by separating up to 280 tonnes of phosphorus from manure and processing it into recycled fertilisers. This will significantly slow down the eutrophication of the sea.Contact information
Sakari Alhopuro Foundation
Board of Directors of the Foundation
Professor of Bacteriology
Professor Emeritus of Environmental Research
Email addresses are in the form: firstname.lastname(at)sakarialhopuronsaatio.fi