How did northern european geography and technology affect each other in the course of Europe history

Northern European geography and technology through history had always been connected by close bonds and it was interchanged constantly, so when one of the people came to a new discovery, it was very quickly in the hands of the others and accepted by them. This was due to the fact that very often most of the region was ruled by a single nation and also the close proximity of the people in this region, as well as the need for trade and interchanging of knowledge.