The author describes the steel research organization that has been developed in Sweden from the middle of the twentieth century and reports on the most recent assessments of its cost effectiveness. Jernkontoret has been the central organization of the Swedish steel industry since 1747. Jernkontoret originated several famous Swedish institutes or universities, such as the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Luleä University of Technology, Dalarna University, the Swedish Institute for Metal Research and MEFOS. The work of the institutes is funded by commissions from the Swedish or the foreign industry, and grants from the Swedish State and the European Union. Total costs of steel research in Sweden are on the order of 100 M€ per year. A recent Jernkontoret report concluded that the State aided joint research in the Swedish steel industry generated at least a fivefold return.
