The Rate and Direction of Invention in the British Industrial Revolution: Incentives and Institutions / Ralf Meisenzahl, Joel Mokyr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Meisenzahl, Ralf.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Mokyr, Joel.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w16993.

NBER working paper series no. w16993

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Other Title:

The Rate and Direction of Invention in the British Industrial Revolution

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2011.

Summary:

During the Industrial Revolution technological progress and innovation became the main drivers of economic growth. But why was Britain the technological leader? We argue that one hitherto little recognized British advantage was the supply of highly skilled, mechanically able craftsmen who were able to adapt, implement, improve, and tweak new technologies and who provided the micro inventions necessary to make macro inventions highly productive and remunerative. Using a sample of 759 of these mechanics and engineers, we study the incentives and institutions that facilitated the high rate of inventive activity during the Industrial Revolution. First, apprenticeship was the dominant form of skill formation. Formal education played only a minor role. Second, many skilled workmen relied on secrecy and first-mover advantages to reap the benefits of their innovations. Over 40 percent of the sample here never took out a patent. Third, skilled workmen in Britain often published their work and engaged in debates over contemporary technological and social questions. In short, they were affected by the Enlightenment culture. Finally, patterns differ for the textile sector; therefore, any inferences from textiles about the whole economy are likely to be misleading.

Notes:

Print version record

April 2011.