NWO XS-project: Innovation in Ship Design in the Age of Sail: A Digital Approach

The Age of Sail saw significant innovations in ship design, which greatly increased European nations’ ability to explore, compete, and trade globally. However, historians lack evidence to assess the performance of these vessels. This project aims to develop a new methodology to rigorously study technological innovation in ship design across time, taking as comparison Dutch and British ships of the eighteenth century. By combining historical analysis with 3D scanning techniques and engineering simulations, the study pioneers a new methodology for the study of the historical past and provides insights into one of the most innovative periods in navigation history.

Project team: led by Dr Lisandra (Lia) Costiner (Utrecht University) and Giovanni Pala (University of Oxford), in collaboration with Dr. Neil Sanghvi, the University of Oxford, the University of Bologna, local and international museums.
Funding: The project is supported by an NWO XS Grant (2024 – 2025)