Rapid scientific progress changes the way ships are built. Where do shipbuilders gain this new expertise?

Technological growth accelerates towards the end of the nineteenth century as the Industrial Revolution advances in the Netherlands. Shipbuilders expand and modernise their shipyards, new technologies such as the steam and diesel engine are introduced, and scientific innovations become part of ship design. While shipyards need to meet the demand from shipping companies for larger and more modern ships, the country’s technical education system struggles to keep up with the pace of change. So where do builders acquire their know-how? Much of the practical knowledge is learned at the shipyard on the shop floor, and technicians share knowledge through various organisations that still exist today. For example the Vereeniging voor Technici op Scheepvaartgebied, a trade organisation set up in 1898 for maritime technicians. Or, here in Rotterdam, the Nationaal Technisch Scheepvaartkundig Museum was established in 1916. A maritime museum which soon becomes a vibrant centre where knowledge was exchanged in various ways among shipbuilders and future shipbuilders. Professional journals such as Schip en Werf are important for sharing the latest shipbuilding ideas. The Nederlandsch Scheepsbouwkundig Proefstation, the towing tank in Wageningen now known worldwide as Marin, is a major source of scientific research from its establishment in 1932.