A Long Time In Finance How Britain Lost Its Shipbuilding Industry
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Dec 5, 2025 Brian Potter, a Senior Infrastructure Fellow and author specializing in shipbuilding history, shares insights on Britain’s decline from global shipbuilding leader to near-oblivion. He explores historical advantages and productivity in the 19th century, highlighting how strong unions and rigid methods stifled modernization. The discussion touches on the impact of foreign competition, missed opportunities like containerization, and the late arrival of nationalization. Potter debates whether this decline was inevitable, offering stark lessons for today’s industrial strategies.
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Industrial Edge Made Britain The Shipbuilder
- Britain rose by mastering iron, steam and steam-engine production during the Industrial Revolution.
- Cheap labour and century-long expertise let British yards underprice rivals and dominate global tonnage.
Productivity Plus Low Wages Drove Advantage
- In 1900 UK shipyards were far more productive per worker than rivals due to efficient production methods.
- Lower wages and large firm scale amplified Britain's cost advantage over the US, Germany and France.
Labour‑Intensive Model Enabled Flexibility
- British yards favoured labour‑intensive, low‑capital methods so they could flex headcount through booms and busts.
- That model suited customised ship orders but hindered transition to fixed‑price, mass methods later.
