Exploring the Project-Based Economy Commerce, Enterprise and Industry 1650–1900, A2SN's next workshop, will be held on 29th and 30th May 2015 at Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coalbrookdale, Shropshire, TF8 7DQ.
A notable feature of the Industrial Revolution was the role played by individual speculators and projectors in the establishment of key industries and infrastructure. This period might be characterised as a ‘project-based economy’, comprising manufacturing, the development of new transport systems, the greater exploitation of natural resources and the growth of finance for industry. The economy was a mix of both formal and informal networks, built intially from local contacts that often went on to spread across the country. But how were these local and national networks created? What was the role of skill, knowledge and learning in the British economy? and what was the nature of the relationships between diverse organisations, technologies and investment?
The scope of this workshop will include:
- examining the role of business and management in the process of British industrialisation
- analysing the development of company organisation, management of infrastructure, finance, professional networks etc.
- evaluating the changing techniques for calculating cost, profit and return on capital
- re-exploring our understanding of the Industrial Revolution in the 21st century
Contributions of 30-minute papers are sought from scholars, archivists and enthusiasts. Please submit your abstracts of no more than 400 words to Keith Harcourt at: keith@a2sn.org.uk no later than 31st January 2015.
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