Erik van der Vleuten

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Erik’s (1968) main research interest is the co-evolution of (infrastructural) technologies and societal change in the 19th and 20th centuries. He published on specific infrastructures, like the electrification of Denmark (Ph.D. thesis, 1998) and wet infrastructure in the Netherlands. He also worked on broader syntheses, such as the intertwinement of infrastructure- and nation building (the 'Networked Nation’) and the role of transnational infrastructures in the shaping of contemporary Europe (‘Networking Europe’). Finally he is interested in historiographical and theoretical issues, including the possibility of a ‘transnational history of technology’, and of ‘critical transactionalism’ as a perspective on infrastructure &regional integration/fragmentation.

Erik participated in Tensions of Europe/ Inventing Europe since 1999. In the ‘exploratory phase’ (1999-2005) he coordinated, with Arne Kaijser, the research theme ‘Networking Europe’. In the ‘transition’ and current ‘research’ phases he was/is a member of, respectively, the Tensions of Europe transition and advisory committees. In Eindhoven, he worked in Johan Schot’s local program ‘Transnational Infrastructures and the Rise of Contemporary Europe’ (2003-2009; www.tie-project.nl), where he focused upon the programme's analytical framework, international organizations as a research site (‘Europe's system builders’), and institutional uses of infrastructures (e.g. in the food sector).

Work address:

IPO 2.28 Department of Innovation Sciences
Eindhoven University of Technology
P.O. Box 513
5600 MB EINDHOVEN
The Netherlands
Email: e.b.a.v.d.vleuten@tue.nl

 

 

 

 

Publications

Books/ edited volumes:

  • Erik van der Vleuten & Arne Kaijser, eds., Networking Europe. Transnational infrastructures and the shaping of Europe, 1850-2000 (Sagamore Beach, MA: Science History Publications, 2006).
  • Erik van der Vleuten & Geert Verbong, eds., Networked Nation. Technology, society and nature in the Netherlands in the 20th century. Special issue of History and Technology 20 (3) (2004). 
  • Wim Ravenstein, Leon Hermans, & Erik van der Vleuten (eds), Participation and globalization in water system building. Special issue of Knowledge, Technology & Policy 14 (4) (2002).
  • Electrifying Denmark. A symmetrical history of central and decentral electricity supply until 1970 (Ph.D. dissertation, University of Aarhus.

 

Relevant scientific articles/book chapters in English

  • Erik van der Vleuten, "Feeding the Peoples of Europe. Transnational Food Transport Infrastructures in the Early Cold War, 1947-1960", in: Badenoch & Fickers (ed), Untangling Infrastructures and Europe: mediations, events, scales (London: Palgrave, expected 2009).
  • Erik van der Vleuten, 'Toward a Transnational History of Technology. Meanings, Promises, Pitfalls', Technology & Culture 2008/4 (expected October 2008);
  • Erik van der Vleuten,  Irene Anastasiadou, Vincent Lagendijk & Frank Schipper, 'Europe's System Builders: The Contested Shaping of Transnational Road, Electricity and Rail Networks', in: Contemporary European History, 16, 3 (2007), pp.321-347.
  • Erik van der Vleuten and Arne Kaijser, ‘Prologue & Introduction: Transnational infrastructures and the shaping of contemporary Europe', in: Van der Vleuten and Kaijser (eds), Networking Europe (SHP, 2006), 1-22.
  • Erik
    van der Vleuten, ‘Understanding Network Societies: Two decades of large technical systems studies', in Van der Vleuten and Kaijser (eds), Networking Europe (SHP, 2006), 279-314.
  • Erik van der Vleuten & Rob Raven, 'Lock-in and change: Distributed generation in Denmark in a long-term perspective', Energy Policy 34, 18 (2006), 3739-3748.
  • Erik van der Vleuten &  Arne Kaijser, ‘Networking Europe', History and Technology 21 (1) (2005), 21-48.
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Infrastructures and societal change. A view from the Large Technical Systems field.' Technology Analysis & Strategic Management 16 (3) (2004), 395-414.
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Introduction. Networking technology, networking society, networking nature.' History and Technology 20 (3) (2004), 195-203.
  • Geert Verbong & Erik van der Vleuten, "Under Construction: Material integration of the Netherlands.' History and Technology 20 (3) (2004), 205-226.
  • Erik van der Vleuten & Cornelis Disco, ‘Water Wizards: Reshaping wet nature and society.' History and Technology 20 (3) (2004), 291-309.
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘In search of the Networked Nation. Transforming technology, society and nature in the Netherlands in the 20th century.' European Review of History 10 (2003), 59-78.
  • Wim Ravenstein, Leon Hermans and Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Participation and globalization in Water system building. Guest editors' introduction.' Knowledge, Technology & Policy 14 (4) (2002), 4-12.
  • Cornelis Disco & Erik van der Vleuten, ‘The politics of wet system building: Balancing interests in Dutch water management from the middle ages to the present.' Knowledge, Technology & Policy 14 (4) (2002), 21-40.
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Constructing centralised electricity supply in Denmark and the Netherlands: an actor group perspective.' Centaurus. International magazine of the history of mathematics, science, and technology 41 (1-2) (1999), 3-36.
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Autoproduction of electricity: Cases from Danish industry.' Polhem 14 (2) (1996), 118-154.

 

Small but interesting ;-)

  • Frank Schipper & Erik van der Vleuten, "Transnational infrastructure development and governance in historical perspective', Network Industries Quarterly Vol. 10, nr. 3 (2008) (expected October 2008).
  • Vincent Lagendijk & Erik van der Vleuten, "Electricity infrastructures", Palgrave Dictionary of Transnational History, forthcoming (expected 2009).
  • Erik van der Vleuten, ‘Large Technical Systems’, Blackwell Companion to the Philosophy of Technology (expected 2009).