@ARTICLE{10.21494/ISTE.OP.2021.0767, TITLE={A tailor-made unit! Science and innovators supporting evaluation and improvement of wool thickness to revive the French drapery industry (1750-1799)}, AUTHOR={Agathe Giraud, }, JOURNAL={Technology and Innovation}, VOLUME={7}, NUMBER={Issue 1}, YEAR={2022}, URL={http://www.openscience.fr/A-tailor-made-unit-Science-and-innovators-supporting-evaluation-and-improvement}, DOI={10.21494/ISTE.OP.2021.0767}, ISSN={2399-8571}, ABSTRACT={During the second half of the 18th century, on top of the numerous conflicts that were disrupting Europe, France was engaged in a “wool war” with Spain and England for control over the continent’s fleeces. French governments acknowledged that the quality of local wool was lower than that of their neighbors, which meant France was having to depend on both British and Spanish supplies, endangering its drapery industry and economy. Political elites thus decided to ally with French scientists in the hope of vastly improving the quality of French wool. However, since wool quality, particularly wool thickness, had for centuries only been assessed with the help of sight and touch, how would French manufacturers know for sure that the improved fleeces would meet the standards of their competitors? The answer had to come from science. At a time when around 800 different measuring units were being used simultaneously all over the country, it was now crucial to develop a calculation system that would allow French drapery workers to measure wool thickness precisely and compare it to the fleeces from Spain and England. Life sciences and metrology had to become the foundations upon which a renewed and reasoned sheep farming concept and expanding wool trade could be built.}}