Matti La Mella

This project examines how new and significant technical knowledge emerged and spread between Sweden and France during the Second Industrial Revolution by analyzing digitized patent documents. It applies computational text analysis to study language change in patent documents, analysing how innovation was shaped through transnational exchange. The project investigates which technologies were patented across borders, how language indicated technological change, and which patent categories show the most novelty.

A key challenge in studying historical innovation is determining what technical knowledge was new and economically relevant. The project contributes to this debate by examining different forms of value in innovation, e.g. the economic value envisioned by inventors and the technological/societal value measured by later impact.

The project engages with recent digital humanities approaches applying methods to investigate lexical and semantic textual similarity. It applies several national patent databases, challenging the common focus on national contexts in patent history. The findings will contribute to discussions on how patents document technical knowledge, how innovation occurs collaboratively, and how computational methods can enhance historical research. The project provides new perspectives on the role of patents in shaping technological development and economic growth.