Mila Davids

Mila Davids is an Assistant Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology's School of Innovation Sciences, specializing in the History of Technology research group within the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences. Her work bridges modern and contemporary history, business history, and technological transitions to explore the development and global spread of knowledge in innovation ecosystems.

• PhD in Business and Technology History focusing on Dutch Post and Telecom Office denationalization
• Editor of key volumes in 'History of Technology in the 20th century (TiN20)' and 'Dutch Business' series
• Managed research projects funded by NWO, Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Unilever, and Philips

Her research investigates how knowledge circulates across global and local contexts, examining:

• Knowledge acquisition strategies in multinational corporations
• Interplay between global knowledge flows and societal/technological transitions
• Innovation dynamics in both developed and developing economies
• Historical evolution of industrial knowledge infrastructure
• Role of R&D in corporate innovation
• Regional economic resilience through historical case studies

Recent publications reveal consistent focus areas across her career:

• Knowledge transfer mechanisms (analytical/synthetic/symbolic knowledge)
• High-tech regional resilience (Eindhoven vs Hsinchu)
• Corporate innovation networks in food and chemical industries
• Historical analysis of technological systems and institutional change

Scientific contributions recognized through:

• 2019 Awards
• Editorial leadership in technology history series
• Keynote publications in Business History, Regional Studies, and History of Technology journals

Active in research programs:

• Dutch-Flemish N.W. Posthumus Institute for economic history
• Cultural Politics of Sustainable Urban Mobility (International Circulation of Knowledge project)