News review, October 3

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First out in the news review this week is the announcement that Mikael Angberg will become the new Chief Investment Officer of Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) as of January 2026. He is succeeding Björn Olsson, who is retiring. Mikael Angberg joins RJ from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. He has previously also been CIO of AP1, and was on the cover of Nordic Fund Selection Journal back in 2015. “I look forward to working with RJ, particularly because of its mission to promote research, which is close to my heart. The foundation is a respected institution with investments in both the Swedish and international markets, and I hope to contribute with experience from my previous roles,” says Mikael Angberg.

At the end of last week, Finnish pension funds Lífsverk and the Almenni Pension Fund communicated that they have signed a merger agreement. The merger is subject to the approval of the merger proposals by the fund members’ meetings and the approval of amendments to the articles of association of both funds by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs. If the proposals are approved, the merged pension fund will begin operations on 1 January 2026.

We have also read the announcement from State Street IM and Van Lanschot Kempen that they are entering into a strategic partnership “that will drive further innovation across their respective investment offerings in Europe”. In the statement, the companies say that they will explore opportunities to develop active ETF products, combining Van Lanschot Kempen’s specialist active management capabilities and State Street IM’s ETF capabilities. They will also explore opportunities to develop additional solutions for their respective client bases, both in private and public markets, for Wealth Management and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer clients.

For more in-depth insight, please have a look at the interview we did recently with Erik van Houwelingen, CEO of Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management.

It seems as if there is not a week without news about asset managers launching active ETFs in Europe. This week it’s Dimensional who announced that the firm’s first two active UCITS ETFs have been registered in Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The Global Core Equity UCITS ETF and the Global Targeted Value UCITS ETF are expected to list in Frankfurt and London by the end of 2025.

From Denmark we have learned that the country is set to host the world’s largest quantum technology fund. The new investment platform, called 55 North, is incubated and co-founded by EIFO (the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark). They are co-operating in the venture with Novo Holdings. The venture capital fund will focus exclusively on quantum technologies.  

“We are thrilled to see 55 North launch. To fulfil the strategic objective of the Danish Government, we have teamed up with strategic partners to incubate a world-leading platform ready to invest in the important field of quantum technology. Quantum will shape industries, economies, and security frameworks worldwide. That is why Europe must act decisively to secure a leading position. With an outstanding team and solid backing from us, Novo Holdings, and further investors to come, 55 North is set to play a defining role,” said Peter Lundquist, CEO of EIFO.

First out in the news review this week is the announcement that Mikael Angberg will become the new Chief Investment Officer of Riksbankens Jubileumsfond (RJ) as of January 2026. He is succeeding Björn Olsson, who is retiring. Mikael Angberg joins RJ from Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. He has previously also been CIO of AP1, and was on the cover of Nordic Fund Selection Journal back in 2015. “I look forward to working with RJ, particularly because of its mission to promote research, which is close to my heart. The foundation is a respected institution with investments in both the Swedish and