Holger Crafoord (1908–1982) was prominent in Swedish industry and commerce. After qualifying as an economist, he began his career with Åkerlund & Rausing, one of the world’s leading packaging companies. He devoted a large part of his life to this company.
In 1964, Holger Crafoord founded Gambro AB in Lund, Sweden, where the technique of manufacturing the artificial kidney was developed. This remarkable dialyser, which was produced in close co-operation with nephrophysiologists during the 1960s, soon became world famous. Since then, a series of medical instruments has been introduced on the world market, making Gambro a leading company in this field.
Holger Crafoord was a member of a number of scientific and learned societies. He sat on the boards of several large companies and industrial associations. In 1972, he became an honorary doctor of economics and in 1976 an honorary doctor of medicine at the University of Lund.
In 1987, Mrs Anna-Greta Crafoord (1914–1994) became an honorary doctor of medicine at the same university. Over the years the Crafoords have furthered both science and culture in many ways and it is noteworthy that research in the natural sciences has received an important measure of support from the Crafoord Fund.