Kenneth Bertrams is Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles where he teaches Economic History, Business History, and History of Science and Technology. His research interests include business history, the development of science-industry interactions, the development of public-private partnerships, and the traffic of ideas among networks of experts within Western Europe and the United States.

Julien Del Marmol is a researcher at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. His current research focuses on the different types of business ownership and the history of family businesses in Belgium and Canada, particularly in regard to corporate governance and international growth.

Sander Geerts is a junior researcher at the KU Leuven. He is particularly interested in the history of beer and brewing. His current research topic is Belgian politics.

Eline Poelmans is an economist and historian. She is assistant professor of international economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, KU Leuven. She is interested in economic history, particularly the economic history of food with a focus on beer.

• Introduction


• 1: A Traditional Industry Switches Gears (ca. 1850-1914)


• 2: Bridging Two Wars (1914-1944)


• 3: Life in the Fast Lane (1945-1971)


• 4: The Secret Alliance (1971-1987)


• 5: From Local to Global (1987-2000)


• Appendices