[SIGCIS-Members] Documenting Swedish IT-history

[Roger Neil Barton]

Per Lundin wrote about "a collaboration between the Div. of History of Science and Technology at KTH,The Swedish Computer Society and the Swedish National Museum of Science and
Technology."

James Cortada wrote "The Swedes have done more to document their recent history than most other European countries so far."

If I may be permitted an observation.

In my first career I worked in the IT industry in the UK, which was competitive in a global context. In ICL my boss came from Texas and his boss came from Minneapolis, both centres of IT.   Mrs T came along and demolished the industry in the early 1980s saying that we should all become investment bankers.  British governments have followed this policy until the folly became visible in the recent financial debacle.  Too late!

In my second career I was forced to follow her advice, founding and being responsible in the 80s and 90s for European technology research for Merrill Lynch.  I regularly visited US investment fund managers who tend to be located in Boston, Minneapolis, Texas, and San Francisco.  Whereas technology represents about 15% of the US stock market it is only notional in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain stock markets.  On the buy side there are very few investment managers in those countries who understand technology.  However the technology industry is extremely significant to the economies of Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, and Sweden being a greater percentage of the stock market than the US.  These countries comprised most of my work where, in addition to world class companies, they also have first class investment fund managers who understand technology.

In my third career I have studied the history of technology in the UK and was initially amazed by how small community is.  One of the best history of technology papers I have heard in recent years was about the fountain pen!  However one day during a coffee break at a SHOT meeting in Europe where the volume of high quality papers given by Swedes, Dutch, and Danish all exceeded the tiny number of Brits I suddenly realised that in order to have a successful community studying history it is necessary to have a successful industry practising today's technology.  In fact there is a synergy between the industry itself, relevant investment knowledge, and historians.  All three are required.

It's too late for the UK but the rest of you please nurture what you have.

kind regards
neil



Dr Roger Neil Barton
http://www.uclmail.net/~neil.barton/
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