The initiator of Esbri, Leif Lundblad, has died after a short illness. He leaves behind his wife Ir\u00e9ne and daughter Ulrika and family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leif is best known for the ATM – he developed his invention that managed banknote handling in ATMs. As the curious and tireless creative person he was, he developed new ideas and inventions all the time. Over 400 patents testify to his ingenuity and drive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I met Leif for the first time in the fall of 1995. Even then, I knew a lot about him and the impressive journey he had made with Inter Innovation – the company behind the banknote handling machine. In just over ten years (1977-1987), the company grew from a small business to an international company with over 2000 employees. And in 1987, it went public. That journey laid the foundation for one of Leif’s most recurring mottos – “small starts exporting and becomes big”. Leif always emphasized the importance of exports and companies that export when he was interviewed or guest lectured. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that first meeting, over lunch near his office, he told me about the plans he and his advisor Stefan Svensson were working on. In the spring of 1996, I became involved in the initiative – what became Esbri. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leif’s creativity and willingness to find solutions to problems always found concrete expression. I particularly remember a meeting in the spring of 1997 to go over the plans for the opening of Esbris and the symposium that would focus on growth issues. The first thing Leif did was to show sketches of how to prevent a recent tragic accident in which two children had died in a recycling container. It was so typical of him – always ready to take on a problem, always with an idea in his back pocket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In connection with the inauguration of Esbri, Leif’s creative spirit was of course present. King Carl XVI Gustaf, who inaugurated Esbri, was not there to cut a ribbon, but to forge links between academia and industry. This has become Esbri’s hallmark – working to ensure that research on entrepreneurship, innovation and small businesses is accessible outside academia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Esbri celebrated its 10th anniversary, we wanted to recognize Leif for his crucial role in founding and funding the organization in its early years. In front of 400 participants, the ribbon from 1997 was displayed and Leif was awarded the Esbri Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the past ten years, Leif and his family’s philanthropic efforts have focused on supporting medical research in areas such as pain and Alzheimer’s disease. In spring 2025, he was appointed honorary doctor at the Karolinska Institute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I spoke to Leif late last spring, he was determined to live to be at least a hundred. That didn’t happen – and it’s deeply saddening. Personalities like Leif are rare. He leaves behind a huge void, but also a legacy of curiosity and a strong belief in the power of ideas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magnus Aronsson
Managing director
Esbri<\/p>\n\n\n\n