The Rise and Decline of Dutch Technological Leadership

by Davids, Karel; Stewart, Larrry

• ISBN13: 9789004168657
• ISBN10: 9004168656
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-12-30
• Publisher: Brill Academic Pub

Summary

This book provides a wide-ranging overview of Dutch technological leadership in the early modern Europe, it explains whence this leadership came about and why it ended and it explores to what extent the Dutch case illuminates the evolution of technological leadership in general.

Author Biography

Karel Davids Ph.D. (1986) in History, University of Leiden, is Professor of Economic and Social History at the VU University Amsterdam

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	p. xi
List of Tables and Maps	p. xiii
Abbreviations	p. xv
Preface	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Technological leadership	p. 3
The development of technology in the early modern period	p. 11
Technology and the economic success of the Dutch Republic	p. 16
Plan of the book	p. 23
The Emergence of the Dutch Republic	p. 27
Growing divergence	p. 28
The transformation in the coastal region	p. 30
The growth of the Burgundian-Habsburg state	p. 35
The Revolt and its aftermath	p. 37
Perceptions of Leadership	p. 41
The idea of technological leadership	p. 42
The idea of Dutch technological leadership	p. 45
Elements of Dutch technological leadership	p. 49
Peculiarities of perception	p. 55
Technological Change and Dutch Economic Expansion between c. 1350 and 1800	p. 57
Introduction	p. 57
Productivity change and technological innovation: Land and water	p. 60
Land use, drainage and hydraulic defense	p. 60
The uses of inland water	p. 82
Fishing and shipping	p. 89
Infrastructure in ports	p. 101
Productivity change and technological innovation: Industries	p. 116
Traditional industries	p. 118
New consumer goods industries	p. 150
New processing industries	p. 174
Conclusion	p. 199
The Northern Netherlands as a Recipient of Technical Knowledge between c. 1350 and 1800	p. 203
Introduction	p. 203
Import of technology into the Northern Netherlands up to c. 1580	p. 207
Great migrations and technology transfer between c. 1580 and 1700	p. 219
Import of technology from other sources, between c. 1580 and 1700	p. 229
Import of technology after c. 1700	p. 243
Conclusion	p. 266
The Northern Netherlands as an Exporter of Technical Knowledge between c. 1350 and 1800	p. 269
Introduction	p. 269
Ways of transmission	p. 270
Transfer of technical knowledge before c. 1580	p. 279
Transfer of technical knowledge between c. 1580 and 1680	p. 282
Transfer of technical knowledge between c. 1680 and 1800	p. 314
Conclusion	p. 362
The Rise of Dutch Technological Leadership	p. 365
Introduction	p. 365
The adoption of technical novelties: the role of market and non-market factors	p. 366
The emergence and origins of technical novelties	p. 388
Openness of knowledge	p. 388
Protection and remuneration of inventive activities	p. 400
The infrastructure of knowledge	p. 416
The process of knowledge creation and its limits	p. 434
Conclusion	p. 454
The Decline of Dutch Technological Leadership	p. 459
Introduction	p. 459
The adoption of technical novelties: the role of market and non-market forces	p. 460
The emergence and origins of technical novelties	p. 472
Openness of knowledge	p. 472
Protection and remuneration of inventive activities	p. 478
The infrastructure of knowledge	p. 482
The process of knowledge creation and its limits	p. 502
Conclusion	p. 525
Conclusion	p. 529
Sources and Bibliography	p. 545
Index	p. 609
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