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The Rise of the Engineer: Inventing the Professional Inventor During the Industrial Revolution

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  • W. Walker Hanlon

Abstract

Why was the Industrial Revolution successful at generating sustained growth? Some have argued that there was a fundamental change in the way that new technology was developed during this period, but evidence for this argument remains largely anecdotal. This paper provides direct quantitative evidence showing that how innovation and design work was done changed fundamentally during the Industrial Revolution. This change was characterized by the professionalization of innovation and design work through the emergence of the engineering profession. I also propose a theory describing how this change could have acted as one mechanism behind the transition to modern economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • W. Walker Hanlon, 2022. "The Rise of the Engineer: Inventing the Professional Inventor During the Industrial Revolution," NBER Working Papers 29751, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:29751
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    Cited by:

    1. James Harrigan & Ariell Reshef & Farid Toubal, 2023. "Techies and Firm Level Productivity," NBER Working Papers 31341, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Hannah, Leslie & Foreman-Peck, James S., 2023. "Business Forms and Business Performance in UK Manufacturing 1871-81," MPRA Paper 119447, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Bergeaud, Antonin & Verluise, Cyril, 2024. "A new dataset to study a century of innovation in Europe and in the US," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    4. Karol Jan Borowiecki & Nicholas Martin Ford & Maria Marchenko, 2023. "Harmonious relations: quality transmission among composers in the very long run," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 27(3), pages 454-476.
    5. Billington, Stephen D. & Lane, Joe, 2023. ""Clause and effect": Invention and state intervention during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars," QUCEH Working Paper Series 23-05, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's University Centre for Economic History.
    6. Matte Hartog & Andres Gomez-Lievano & Ricardo Hausmann & Frank Neffke, 2024. "Inventing modern invention: the professionalization of technological progress in the US," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2408, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Apr 2024.
    7. Youssouf Merouani & Faustine Perrin, 2023. "Myths and Biases: An Exploration of Women’s Historical Patenting Activities," Working Papers 09-23, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N73 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights

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