The ELI President, Prof Dr Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell, formally launched the Enterprise Foundations and Responsible Business Ownership Special Interest Group (SIG) and used the occasion to mark ELI’s 15th anniversary celebrations. 

The event took place as part of the ELI in the World initiative, marking the Institute’s 15th anniversary and its continued engagement with partners across jurisdictions.

The SIG launch marks an important milestone for the ELI and follows the publication of its ELI European Enterprise Foundations Model Law (2025). In the dissemination phase, the team behind the instrument, Prof Steen Thomsen, Prof Dr Anne Sanders, and Michael Redbrake, are currently exploring areas for the integration of enterprise foundations into national legal frameworks through high-level discussions on policy development and comparative legal analysis, in light of the growing relevance of enterprise foundations across Europe.

The Launch brought together distinguished academics, practitioners and enterprises.

Opening Session – Research Foundations 

The first session explored foundation ownership and the interlinkages to research companies. Here, Prof Steen Thomsen provides a deep dive into research foundations and how they are governed. 

Session II – The LEO Foundation and LEO Pharma 

The second session welcomed Peter Hahr, the CEO of the LEO foundation and LEO Pharma, a Danish enterprise foundation that owns LEO pharma that specializes in dermatology and has more than 4000 employees. Hahr highlighted how foundation ownership provides a stable platform for LEO Pharma while funding substantial research in dermatology. He also explained how LEO Pharma has shared ownership with a private equity fund and how this influences the company’s governance.

ELI is particularly grateful to the Copenhagen Business for their generous hosting of this important event, as well as for their continued engagement with ELI’s work.