Set against the backdrop of the interwar deglobalization period, this paper explores how technological knowledge continued to move between Britain and the United States despite growing national barriers and protectionist pressures. Using evidence from more than 8,000 US patents linked to British inventions, together with historical case material on inventors and scientists, the study demonstrates that while state-led nationalism restricted international exchange, knowledge networks remained remarkably resilient. The paper also shows how tacit and codified knowledge travel differently across borders, with patents and publications sustaining connections even when personal mobility became more constrained.
Author and affiliation:
• Anna Spadavecchia (University of Strathclyde; Università Ca’ Foscari)
