NEWCOMEN SOCIETY

What NEWCOMEN SOCIETY does

The Newcomen Society, legally "The Newcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering and Technology," is a UK-registered learned society and charity (Charity No. 215410, Company No. 00691545) founded in 1920 and headquartered at the Science Museum, South Kensington, London. It operates as a membership-based academic community dedicated to the study and dissemination of the history of engineering and technology, named after Thomas Newcomen, inventor of the first practical working steam engine around 1712. The Society serves historians, researchers, and industrial heritage enthusiasts primarily in the United Kingdom, with international reach through its publications and campaigns.

Its core products are content-driven rather than technology-driven. The Society publishes The Journal (International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology) twice yearly, with over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers archived since 1920, and Newcomen Links, a quarterly magazine delivered in print and PDF. Members additionally gain access to the digital archive, regional branches and subject groups, and a programme of lectures, study days, conferences and the annual Dickinson Memorial Lecture. Free online content includes The Shed Lectures on YouTube. The Society sells books (e.g., Early Railways 2, The Piston Engine Revolution) and branded merchandise (ties) through its online shop.

The Society's revenue model rests on recurring membership subscriptions as the primary stream, supplemented by one-time book and merchandise sales and donations. It does not charge for general advertising, has no disclosed enterprise customers, and operates without institutional investment or external funding rounds. Distribution is via an owned e-commerce storefront, a self-serve member portal, in-person sales at UK events, and content marketing across five social channels. A Small Grants Programme (£500–£10,000) was introduced in February 2026 for charities and archives working in engineering history, representing a programmatic extension rather than a revenue stream.

Name

NEWCOMEN SOCIETY

Legal name

The Newcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering and Technology

Website

https://newcomen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Newcomen Society is a UK learned society and registered charity founded in 1920 that studies the history of engineering and technology, serving historians, researchers, and industrial heritage enthusiasts through a peer-reviewed journal, quarterly magazine, events programme, and member archive.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Learned Society (Engineering History)

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Engineering history society
• Academic journal publications
• Industrial heritage preservation
• Learned society membership
• Engineering history lectures

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees provide access to the Journal, Newcomen Links newsletter, archived papers, local branch membership, and event attendance. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Book and Publication Sales: The society sells books through its online shop including titles like Early Railways 2 (£32), Sir Samuel Morland (£14.75), Robert Stephenson – The Eminent Engineer (£44.50), and The Piston Engine Revolution (£36). One-time purchase model for publications.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Newcomen Society ties in blue or green (£10) featuring the society logo in gold thread.
4. Small Grants Programme: The society provides grants to external organizations (£500 minimum to £10,000 maximum) for projects in the history of engineering and technology. This represents an outflow rather than revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Newcomen Society is a registered charity and learned society that publishes peer-reviewed academic journals, themed books and a quarterly newsletter on the history of engineering and technology. It maintains a membership organisation with regional branches and subject groups, hosts lectures, talks, heritage visits and an annual memorial lecture, sells books and branded merchandise, and runs a small grants programme supporting industrial heritage charities and archives.

Product overview

The Newcomen Society is a learned society offering a portfolio of publications and membership services focused on the history of engineering and technology. Its core products include The Journal (International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology), a peer-reviewed academic journal published twice yearly with over 1000 archived papers since 1920, and Newcomen Links, a quarterly magazine featuring articles on discoveries, anniversaries, and industrial heritage. The Society also publishes books on engineering history topics including railways, piston engines, and notable engineers. Additional offerings include merchandise (such as the Newcomen Society Tie), an annual events programme featuring lectures, study days, and conferences, plus regional branches and subject groups. The Society recently introduced a Small Grants Programme in 2026 to fund projects in engineering history preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Journal of the Newcomen Society An annual peer-reviewed academic journal publishing scholarly articles on the history of engineering and technology, issued to members and available for individual purchase.
• Newcomen Links A quarterly newsletter distributed to members reporting Society news, branch activities, forthcoming events, and short features on engineering history.
• The Archive (online archive of Society publications) An online digital archive providing members with access to past issues of the Journal and other Society publications.
• Early Railways 2 A Society-published book on early railway engineering history, available for purchase via the Society's online store.
• Robert Stephenson (book) A Society-published book on the engineer Robert Stephenson, sold via the Society's online store.
• Newcomen Society Tie A branded silk tie bearing the Newcomen Society emblem, available for purchase through the Society's online store.
• Events Programme (lectures, talks and visits) An ongoing programme of lectures, talks and heritage site visits delivered by regional branches and subject groups, with member discounts.
• Dickinson Memorial Lecture An annual flagship memorial lecture hosted by the Society in honour of its founder, delivered by a distinguished scholar and open to members and guests.
• The Shed Lectures A specialist lecture series delivered under the Society's Shed subject theme, focused on engineering history topics.
• Small Grants Programme A grant funding programme providing financial support to charities, archives and museums for projects preserving industrial heritage and engineering history.
• Newcomen Society Membership An annual membership subscription providing access to the Journal, Newcomen Links, the online archive, discounted events, and member benefits.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Science Museum, South KensingtonminorOthersThe Science Museum in South Kensington, London serves as the registered office location for the Newcomen Society. The society appears to have an informal connection with the museum, particularly evidenced by Sir Neil Cossons' role as Director of the Science Museum (2000) before becoming Chairman of English Heritage.
• Alan Baxter GalleryminorOthersThe Alan Baxter Gallery in London hosts the Dickinson Memorial Lecture and other society events. Venue for in-person lectures and events.
• Kelham Island Museum, SheffieldminorOthersKelham Island Museum in Sheffield hosts some Newcomen Society events and has received funding through the Kenneth Yeomans Award from the society.
• thinktank Museum, BirminghamminorOthersThe thinktank museum in Birmingham hosts Newcomen Society events and presentations on engineering history topics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET): Large UK-based professional engineering body that publishes journals, hosts conferences, and serves a membership of engineers — a broader incumbent operating in the same engineering knowledge-dissemination space.
• Royal Academy of Engineering: UK national academy for engineering, producing publications, policy reports and events on engineering history and impact — comparable as a larger, established membership-driven engineering learned institution.
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME): Large global professional society for mechanical engineers publishing peer-reviewed journals and hosting conferences — a broader incumbent whose historical publications and heritage programming overlap with Newcomen's remit.

Direct peers

• British Society for the History of Science: UK learned society publishing the British Journal for the History of Science and hosting annual conferences — directly comparable as a small membership-based learned society focused on the history of science and technology.
• Society of Antiquaries of London: Long-established London-based learned society for the study of antiquities and history, publishing proceedings and hosting lectures — comparable as a heritage-focused, membership-driven scholarly publisher and event organiser.
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE): UK learned society covering mechanical engineering heritage, publishing peer-reviewed proceedings and hosting historical lectures — directly comparable as a membership-based engineering history organisation with publications and events.
• Society for the History of Technology (SHOT): US-based learned society dedicated to the history of technology, publishing Technology and Culture journal and hosting an annual meeting — the most direct international scholarly peer to Newcomen's mission.
• Newcomen Society of North America: US counterpart focused on business and technology history, with local chapters and the Dartmouth Medal programme — the closest named peer, sharing heritage branding and a comparable mission around engineering and industrial history.
• Royal Historical Society: UK learned society publishing scholarly historical research, hosting lectures and conferences, and maintaining a fellowship-based membership model — structurally similar to Newcomen as a subscription-funded scholarly society.

Others

• Science Museum (London): London science museum that hosts the Newcomen Society's registered office and shares the engineering-history mission through exhibitions and collections — an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NewcomenSoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@newcomensociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/newcomensociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newcomen-society-for-the-study-of-the-history-of-engineeringand-technology-the-
• Instagraminstagram.com/newcomensociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NEWCOMEN SOCIETY