Development of new economies by merging heritage and entrepreneurship. The issue of preserving, using or developing – or all?

Abstract

Heritage’ could be the driving force in developing new economies in geographic areas with unstable growth. The establishment of industrial remains as heritage during the 1980s and 90s describes a development of heritage practices that improved possibilities to address such issues, as compared with traditional sub-divided heritage work. Heritage afloat exemplifies how industrial and maritime heritage could be instrumental in rethinking heritage practices. Two examples are presented. The first concerns a recent reconstruction of an early 19th century paddle steamer, where tacit knowledge within both traditional as well as industrially based craft skills became the main issue. The other example builds on a century old steamboat that has been preserved as designated heritage with original appearance, in original route, and with original function. ‘Working order’ and the difference between ‘heritage’ as the material result, and ‘heritage’ as a process resulting in both intangible and material qualities are discussed as a necessary base in strategies to develop new economies by merging heritage and entrepreneurship, specifically in non-urban landscape perspectives.