Erik Martin Fehrm (8 March 1910 – 6 August 2001) was a Swedish engineer and civil servant. Fehrm, after completing his ''studentexamen'', pursued studies at the

Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Since 2018, KTH consist ...

, graduating in electrical engineering in 1932. Driven by a passion for radio technology, he joined the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration in 1933. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Fehrm served as a 3rd degree flight engineer in the Royal Swedish Air Force Materiel Administration, contributing to eco-radio development and investigating advanced military equipment. Post-war, he held significant roles, including heading a department at the

Swedish National Defence Research Institute Swedish National Defence Research Institute (, FOA) was a Swedish government agency in defense research existing from 1945 to 31 December 2000. It was amalgamated with the National Aeronautical Research Institute (FFA) into the Swedish Defence ...

and later serving as its Director General until 1968. Fehrm continued his influential career as the Director General of the National Swedish Board for Technical Development from 1968 to 1971 and contributed to various national research councils and associations until the mid-1980s.

Early life

Fehrm was born on 8 March 1910 in Järna,

Vansbro Municipality Vansbro Municipality () is a municipality in Dalarna County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Vansbro. During the local government reform of 1971 ''Järna'', ''Nås'' and ''Äppelbo'' were amalgamated to form the new Vansbro ...

, Sweden, the son of Fritz Fehrm, a bookseller, and his wife Klara (née Matsson). He passed ''

studentexamen Studentexamen (Swedish for "students' examination" or "students' degree"), earlier also ''mogenhetsexamen'' ("maturity examination") was the name of the university entrance examination in Sweden from the 17th century to 1968. From 1862 to 1968, ...

'' in

Falun Falun () is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 37,291 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Dalarna County. Falun forms, together with Borlänge, a metropolitan area with just over 100,000 inhabit ...

and initiated studies at the

KTH Royal Institute of Technology KTH Royal Institute of Technology (), abbreviated KTH, is a Public university, public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in Institute of technology, engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest te ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, from which he graduated with a degree in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

in 1932.

Career

With a keen interest in radio technology, he received the following year employment at the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration. In 1940, Fehrm came as a 3rd degree flight engineer to the Royal Swedish Air Force Materiel Administration, where he would stay until the war was over. During the war years he developed into an expert on eco-radio and participated actively in the special working group that had been created for the area within the Swedish Board of Inventions (''Statens uppfinnarnämnd''). His expertise was also used for the investigation of advanced military equipment, which ended in the country crashed airplane or in any other way, for example the Bäckebo rocket. Fehrm became 2nd degree flight engineer in 1942. Fehrm was head of department at the

(FOA) from 1945 to 1957 when he was appointed Director General of FOA. Fehrm held this post until 1968. He was then Director General of the National Swedish Board for Technical Development (''Styrelsen för teknisk utveckling'', STU) from 1968 to 1971. He became a member of the National Board of the Swedish Institutes of Technology (''Överstyrelsen för de tekniska högskolorna'') in 1959. Fehrm was chairman of the Swedish Natural Science Research Council (''Statens naturvetenskapliga forskningsråd'') from 1965 to 1977, and the ''Stamnätsnämnden'' from 1966 to 1985. He was a member of the Swedish Government Research Advisory Board (''Forskningsberedningen'') from 1962 to 1978, the ''Miljövårdsberedningen'' from 1968 to 1977, and the Swedish Transport Research Delegation (''Transportforskningsdelegationen'') from 1971 to 1982. Furthermore, Fehrm was chairman of the board of the AB Atomenergi from 1969 to 1976, chairman of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers (''Svenska Teknologföreningen'', SvTF) from 1972 to 1973, and 1st vice chairman of the Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers (''Sveriges civilingenjörsförbund'') from 1974 to 1977.

Personal life

He was married to Ragna Fägersten (born 1912), the daughter of Helge Fägersten and Signe Janzon.

Awards and decorations

* Commander First Class of the

Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden''), sometimes translated as the Royal Order of the North Star, is a Swedish order of chivalry created by Frederick I of Sweden, King Frederick I on 23 F ...

SWE_Order_of_Vasa_-_Knight_2nd_Class_BAR

Knight of the

Order of Vasa The Royal Order of Vasa () is a Swedish order of chivalry founded on 29 May 1772 by Gustav III, King Gustav III. It is awarded to Swedish citizens for service to state and society especially in the fields of agriculture, mining and commerce. His ...

For_Zealous_and_Devoted_Service_of_the_Realm_ribbon

Illis quorum ''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') (English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It") is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society. The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gusta ...

, 12th size (1977)

Honours

*Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

(1949) *Member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (, IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which promotes contact and exchange between business, ...

(1958) *Technical honorary doctor,

Chalmers University of Technology Chalmers University of Technology (, commonly referred to as Chalmers) is a private university, private research university located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Chalmers focuses on engineering and science, but more broadly it also conducts research ...

(1963)

Bibliography

* * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fehrm, Martin 1910 births 2001 deaths Swedish electrical engineers 20th-century Swedish engineers Swedish civil servants Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences KTH Royal Institute of Technology alumni Commanders First Class of the Order of the Polar Star Knights of the Order of Vasa People from Järna, Vansbro Municipality Recipients of the Illis quorum