Background
SILBERTSON, Zangwill Aubrey was born in 1922 in London, England.
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Zangwill Aubrey SILBERTSON
Edit ProfileEducation
Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1942, 1950. Master of Arts University Oxford, 1971.
Career
Economics, Courtaulds Limited., 1946-1950. Lector Economics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom,
71. Research Fellow, Street Catharine’s College, Street John's College Cambridge, 1950-1953,
71.
Fellow, Nuffield College Oxford,
8.
Visiting Professor, University Queensland, 1977, University South Sewanee, Tennessee, United States of America,
1984. Professor of Economics, Imperial College Science and Technology, University London, London, England, since 1978.
Editorial Board, Journal of Industrial Economics, since 1980.
Achievements
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Rockefeller Foundation Fellow, 1959-1960. Member, United Kingdom Monopolies Commission, 1965-1968. Board Member, British Steel Corporation, 76. Member, Department Committee Patent System United Kingdom Banks Committee, 70. Economics Committee United Kingdom Social Science Research Council, United Kingdom or United States of America, 73. Economics Adviser, Confederation British Industry, 1972-1974. Member, United Kingdom Royal Committee Press, 1974-1977. Adviser, Bank England, 1979-1981. SecretaryGen., Royal Economic Society, United Kingdom, since 1979.
Views
My work in Courtaulds as an economist at the start of my career aroused my interest in industrial economics. When I was appointed a lecturer at Cambridge, I was asked to lecture on specific industries, and my book on the motor industry with George Maxcy grew out of this. Other work on specific industries followed, especially on the steel industry, once I had been appointed a part-time Board member of the British Steel Corporation.
At the same time I was interested in more general questions of industrial analysis and policy and was much involved in the work at Cambridge on measuring economies of scale. My next major field of interest was innovation and the patent system, culminating in my 1973 book with Christopher Taylor.
When I moved to Oxford in 1971 I became interested in the growth of firms and published a number of articles in that field At Imperial College I have worked on British overseas investment, among other areas, and a book on this subject has been completed.
I have also returned to my earlier interest in innovation, including now its international aspects. I would say that my major work has been on the motor industry, on economies of scale, and on innovation. I have worked a good deal in collaboration, usually with younger scholars, with the division of work between us varying from case to case.
