Shipping & STEM
From the earliest days of civilization, monetary systems and the creation of wealth have been built upon trade and the exchange of goods and services. As civilizations evolved, trade extended beyond continental boundaries. Trade and the exchange of wealth then began to expand regionally and finally, globally.
Regional shipping was first established by Phoenician merchants who transported goods to ports throughout the Mediterranean. These successful shipping enterprises were adopted by the ancient Greeks and Romans. By the 1500’s, Venetians had developed a large merchant fleet. Shipping and the merchant exchange of goods continued to expand until the first half of the 17th Century when the Dutch established a worldwide trading exchange.
From the advent of worldwide shipping, technological advances have propelled the development and proliferation of trade. Advances in navigation and the mastery of latitude and longitude have allowed mariners to successfully navigate the world’s oceans. Ships became sturdier as they were built of iron and were propelled more quickly as they were powered by steam.
As ships improved, so did shipping routes. In 1869, engineering and technology allowed for the completion of the Suez Canal. The opening of the canal created convenient and timely trade between Europe and Asia. Since World War I, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have contributed to enormous improvements in maritime trade.
The Voyage of Exploration Program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), explores the technological improvements, which have allowed shipping to greatly alter what we manufacture while creating a global nation of merchants. This globalization of trade has reshaped economies, forged new global allies, and has had a major impact on global economics and politics.