The mining sectors in Chile and Norway from approximately 1870 to 1940: : the development of a knowledge gap

Chile and Norway are two ‘natural resource-intensive economies’, which have had different development trajectories, yet are closely similar in industrial structure and geophysical conditions. This paper seeks to contribute to the debate about how and why some economies based on natural resource activities have been more dynamic and innovative than others by indicating contributing factors of key differences in one natural resource sector both countries developed, namely mining. I explore how comparable knowledge organizations developed knowledge and how they help to understand differences in development. More knowledge was developed and accumulated in Norway than in Chile, which indicates that there was a knowledge gap between the two countries. Mining instructions were similar, but there were striking differences when it came to (1) number of graduates, (2) number of travel arrangements for practical learning and (3) organised geological mapping and ore surveys. These differences contribute to explain the emerging gap of the two sectors, which in turn may be linked to the role of the state. In Norway, the state was much more active in supporting knowledge development through funding of education, scholarships and the National Geological Survey. In Chile, these key knowledge organizations were given lower priority by political decision-makers

Connecting formal education and practice to agricultural innovation in Denmark (1860s-1920) : A note on sources and methods

It is generally found that human capital has had positive effects on industrial development and economic growth, but the relationship between formal education, work practice, industrial development and economic growth, and the relationships between them over time, remains unclear, largely because of a lack of empirical evidence. This note argues that an investigation of the Danish dairy industry can contribute to further our understanding of the impacts and limitation of formal education and practice and aims to describe unique sources that can be used to construct a database, which in turn can be analysed to make an empirically solid investigation of whether, and how, knowledge learned at school and through practice contributed to technological changes, diffusion of technology and increased productivity in the Danish dairy industry from the 1860s to 1920, a period when this industry went through a technological and industrial transformation. This purpose of this planned investigation will be to fill a gap in Danish historiography, but also to contribute to the wider literature about the role of education and practice in innovation with empirical evidence and by further developing concepts of knowledge and technology

Los Derrames y las transferencias de tecnología en los sectores minero y eléctrico-energético en Chile

Esta investigación abarca los derrames (efectos de la presencia de las multinacionales y las IED) y las transferencias de tecnología en los sectores minero y eléctrico-energético en Chile desde el año 1999 hasta el año 2006. Se realiza el trabajo en los sectores minero y eléctrico-energético, por medio de un estudio de caso que examina los derrames horizontales y otros cuatro casos que analizan proyectos de transferencias tecnológicas, que son el resultado de la colaboración entre empresas chilenas y noruegas. Para comprender las condiciones tecnológicas y económicas en que se encuentran las empresas chilenas, en relación al aprovechamiento de la tecnología extranjera presente, se analiza primero la capacidad de absorción de la misma en los sectores minero y eléctro-energético. Las empresas noruegas analizadas son Aker Kværner, Norconsult y Det Norske Veritas (DNV). Aker Kværner y Det Norske Veritas colaboraron con empresas en el sector minero, El Tesoro, CODELCO y Caucho Técnica, y Norconsult tuvo un proyecto con una empresa en el sector eléctrico-energético, Endesa. Se examina el proceso de la adaptación de la tecnología y el resultado de los proyectos para conocer su influencia en las plantas, en la producción y la venta. Con respecto a los derrames horizontales se examina el modo que la competencia como consecuencia de la introducción de las IED haya afectado las empresas nacionales y el desarrollo de los sectores. Basado en estudios y estadística sobre la situación tecnológica y económica chilena se sitúa el país en una fase intermediaria dentro del proceso de desarrollo de un país, entre los países en vías de desarrollo y los desarrollado. Esto significa que el país en general posee un cierto nivel de tecnología y conocimiento referente a sus industrias. Existen empresas en los sectores minero y eléctrico-energético que han innovado utilizando tecnología propia, lo cual es caracterizado como el nivel tecnologico más avanzado. Sin embargo, en el sector minero las empresas también están adaptando tecnología extranjera y en el sector eléctrico-energético ha habido incentivos políticos para aumentar la inversión nacional, que implica que los dos sectores se encuentran alejados de la frontera tecnológica. Se considera entonces que la brecha tecnológica entre la tecnología de los sectores y la tecnología extranjera es moderada y no demasiado grande, que significa que están en buenas condiciones de beneficiarse de los derrames y trasferencias de tecnología originados de las multinacionales presentes en el país. En todos los proyectos verticales entre las empresas noruegas y chilenas se encuentran resultados positivos, es decir, las empresas chilenas han podido incorporar o adaptar la tecnología extranjera y aprendido de ella a pesar de algunos problemas en las fases iniciales de los proyectos. Esto ha contribuido a que las compañías han aumentado el nivel tecnológico. En los casos de El Tesoro y El Teniente las empresas han incrementado el nivel a pesar de la brecha tecnológica grande antes de comenzar los proyectos entre el conocimiento tecnológico en la planta y la tecnología extranjera. La presencia de las multinacionales en los sectores minero y eléctrico-energético no ha significado ningún retroceso para las empresas nacionales, sino por el contrario se observa un incremento de la inversión nacional y del índice de la venta de las empresas nacionales. De este modo se puede..

Copper trade and production of copper, brass and bronze goods in the Oldenburg monarchy : copperworks and copper users in the eighteenth century

This paper explores trade connections – or the lack of such – between copperworks and copper processing plants in the Oldenburg Monarchy in the eighteenth century. Domestic customs areas, high tariffs on raw material export and import bans sought to encourage domestic copper and brass goods production of Norwegian copper raw material, however this was only realised halfway. The raw material from Norway was largely exported, and copper and brass materials used to produce copper-, brass and bronze goods were imported from all over the world. The copperworks and processing plants in the Monarchy never became strongly integrated due to several reasons. First, shareholders of copperworks acquired favourable credit deals abroad, and preferred to export the copper, and second, copper materials had different features and processing plants used all sorts of copper inputs in the making of goods, not only copper raw material. Norway produced mostly gar copper, so copper plants and coppersmiths had to turn elsewhere for other types of copper. Production of copper and brass goods increased, but did not meet the domestic demand partly due to a strong foreign competition. The optimal goal of ‘mercantilist theory’ regarding copper and brass import substitution was not reached

State reforms in early modern mining : Røros copperworks and the role of workers managers, investors and the state in business development

State reforms adopted in the 1680s prevented the largest copperworks in the Oldenburg Monarchy, Røros, from shutdown. The changes ensured supply deliveries and regular wage payments through spread of ownership, delegating more responsibilities to the Director and managers and introducing complex control mechanisms and state monitoring of the accounts and daily tasks. They appear relatively advanced and may well have been a forerunner in the European context. Why were the reforms adopted, and why were the regulations formed this way? Miners, smelters and farmers all had a role in the implementation of these reforms. They organised themselves in an early form of union and demanded regular wage payments and better terms of work. Two Royal Commissions were staffed by a handful of state officials, which meticulously went through the accounts, regulations and organisation of Røros and in the main acknowledged the interests of the workers. The increased state involvement was related to the Kings Frederick III and Christian V’s economic interests in Røros who were inspired by mercantilist thoughts of the time