Description
This paper is the result of preliminary research of two PhD projects on the economic development of the large Dutch shipbuilding industry in the twentieth century, divided over the periods 1914-1945 (Siegel) and 1945-1983 (Straver). Taking into account the context of changing market conditions and government involvement, these projects approach the development of competitiveness from the perspective of the organisational and technological innovation processes and the connections between the shipyard and the surrounding industries.The main purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to assess the general economic development of Dutch shipbuilding within the international market and Dutch shipbuilding companies on the national level. Second, to get insight into the changing structure of the industry with which to get a fundamental basis for further research of both PhD projects. This paper concentrates on the international market share of Dutch shipbuilding and compared production concerning type, size, and customer across the largest shipbuilding companies in the Netherlands.
The results show an incremental increase of the Dutch market share until the sudden drop in 1960-1965 and, parallel to this development, a clear change on both the customer and production side in the postwar period. It is illustrated by the disappearance of the Dutch shipping companies as the most important customers for Dutch shipbuilding and by the shift of shipbuilding companies towards different product segments. The change in customer and product points to an important role for the linkage between shipyard and shipping company and the firm specific strategies and organisational capabilities respectively.
| Period | 22 Mar 2019 → 23 Mar 2019 |
|---|---|
| Event title | New Researchers in Maritime History Conference |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Liverpool, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |
Research programs
- ESHCC HIS