2011/03 | LEM Working Paper Series | |
The Early Diffusion of the Steam Engine in Britain, 1700-1800. A Reappraisal |
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Alessandro Nuvolari, Bart Verspagen, Nick Von Tunzelmann |
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Keywords | ||
Steam Engine, Britain, Industrial Revolution, Diffusion of innovations
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JEL Classifications | ||
N73, O14, O33
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Abstract | ||
We examine the diffusion of steam technology across British counties
during the eighteenth century. First, we provide new estimates for the
regional variations in the timing, pace and extent of usage of steam
engines. Our main data source is an updated version of the list of
steam engines erected in Britain during the eighteenth century
originally compiled by Kanefsky and Robey (1980). Following a rather
established approach for analysing the diffusion of new technologies
we fit S-shaped growth functions to the data on the numbers of steam
engines installed in each county. In this way, we are able to provide
a comprehensive appraisal of the relative speed of the diffusion
process in different counties. Second, in order to assess the relative
importance of the variables shaping the diffusion of steam power
technology, we study the relationship between the number of steam
engines installed in each county with of localization factors such as
coal prices, availability of water sites, number of textile mills and
number of blast furnaces.
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