How did Maria Theresa encourage manufacturing and economic growth after 1763?

Following the Seven Years' War, Maria Theresa implemented several reforms to stimulate economic growth and manufacturing as part of a broader effort to recover from significant national debt. Her strategies included:12

• Labor Recruitment: She recruited skilled foreign workers and artisans from the Low Countries, Germany, and Italian lands to settle throughout the monarchy and bolster manufacturing.12
• Deregulation: Key economic sectors, specifically iron making and textiles, were freed from restrictive guild regulations to encourage production.12
• Trade Policy: In 1775, the government established a customs union across most crown lands to facilitate internal trade, while revising mercantilist policies to prioritize human labor as the primary measure of national wealth.12
• Education: Recognizing the need for a more capable work force, she introduced the General School Regulation in 1774. This established a system of public education intended to instill a strong work ethic and provide necessary skills to the growing proto-industrial population.12

These measures reflected a shift toward modernizing the economy by fostering a more skilled and productive society.12