Acts of Invention and Acts of Business in the GPT-Electricity

What did Morse, Bell and Marconi have in common?

Working paper (2017)

Authors

B.J.G. van der Kooij

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24839.91046

Technological innovation History of technology General purpose technology Cluster of innovations Act of invention Act of business

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Published Date

2017

Language

English

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Abstract

The General Purpose Technology of Electricity (GPT-E) as a meta-technology has been a driving force of economic growth in the Second Industrial Revolution. Fuelled by inventions (eg the electric motor/dynamo, electric light, telegraph, and telephone), its micro-foundations were the General Purpose Engines (GPE). These GPEs were the basic innovations within their of Clusters of Innovations. These innovations, characterized by their social and economic impact, were the result of the work of single individuals. It was their respective Acts of Invention that created the artefacts that played such an essential role in the spawning of the GPT-E; and it were their Acts of Business that created their patent-based commercial monopolies. Based on extensive case studies, we investigated the individual contributions of Samuel Morse (telegraph), Alexander Bell (telephone) and Guglielmo Marconi (wireless), to find that they had much in common. Their Acts of Invention—the process from idea to prototype and product—and their Acts of Business—the process from prototype to commercial product—are presented and show remarkable similarities.

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