Below is an overview of current and completed projects in the field of business history. For completed projects, click here.

Meesters in Metaal – Koninklijke Metaalunie

The Koninklijke Metaalunie is one of the most important business interest groups in the Netherlands, connecting entrepreneurs in the SME metal industry, an industry that employs nearly 200,000 workers and has a turnover of over EUR 30 billion.

In 2023, Koninklijke Metaalunie commissioned a study to be published on the occasion of the organisation’s 125th anniversary in 2028. The study will focus on the craftsmanship of SME metalworkers. How did the industry develop in the twentieth century, what opportunities and threats did the entrepreneurs encounter and how did they shape their craftsmanship appropriately under changing socio-economic and political conditions? And what role did the Koninklijke Metaalunie play in this process? The study aims to answer the question of how generations of entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized enterprises shaped their ambitions and love for the profession.

The research is conducted by dr. Bram Bouwens. Among other things, he is using unique archive material from the Koninklijke Metaalunie.

Sustainability Trade-offs in the Netherlands’ Entangled Modernisation (STONEM)

Imports of raw materials affect economic, social and environmental conditions elsewhere in the world. The Netherlands currently has the worst record in Europe regarding sustainability abroad. This has historical causes: over the past two centuries, the production of scientific knowledge, colonial developments and industrial modernisation have contributed to the creation of global production chains. This had a serious impact on the global environment and the livelihoods of indigenous people. STONEM examines this commodification process in conjunction with the development of global supply chains and their impact on sustainability.

Researchers involved: prof. dr. Johan Schot en dr. Bram Bouwens. Maite Van den Borre is attached as PhD to work package 3 (metals and ores) of the project, under the supervision of Bram Bouwens.

Sustainability in Dutch Enterprises, 1987-2024

Businesses are the backbone of our economy and provide basic social needs. This should not come at the expense of the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundlandt report, 1987), requiring a corporate sustainability transition. This project inquires how Dutch companies and innovative entrepreneurs have contributed to that transition. By conducting interviews with entrepreneurs and business leaders, the project aims to acquire and preserve knowledge on how Dutch entrepreneurs and enterprises have dealt with sustainability in recent decades. In cooperation with the International Institute for Social Studies (IISG), a method is being developed to store, disclose and enrich the interviews. For more information, please contact dr. Bram Bouwens of dr. Marten Boon.

International Business in Global Environmental Governance between Stockholm and Kyoto

The gap between the implications of climate science and the results of global climate policy is still wide. One of the most critical questions of our time is why humanity has still not been able to close this gap. In a collaboration between business historians and economic historians in Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands, this project takes a new approach to tracing the historical foundations of today’s global environmental governance by focusing on the role of transnational business networks, such as the International Chamber of Commerce, in shaping it. By using a transnational approach to the archives of international business organisations, the project offers greater insight into the role of international business in shaping global environmental governance. The project team consists of prof. dr. Ann-Kristin Bergquist (PI, Uppsala University), prof. dr. Thomas David (University of Lausanne) en dr. Marten Boon.