Ingenious Britain: James Dyson Proposes Urgent Action To Made Britain A Leading Hi-Tech Economy

A competitive Britain is a high tech Britain James Dyson calls for education reforms and greater research and development tax credits to make Britain Europe’s leading high tech exporter

James Dyson is urging government to support science and engineering before Britain loses its international competitiveness and slides further into the red.

In a report published in March 2010, Dyson targets culture, education, universities and research and development – aiming to make Britain Europe’s leading high tech exporter.

In October 2009, David Cameron asked James Dyson to help the Conservatives reawaken Britain’s innate inventiveness and creativity. James, with the support and advice of some of the UK’s most esteemed UK industry and academic leaders, has developed policy recommendations aimed at influencing the agenda of future government.

James Dyson said: “We need to inspire and enlighten people: science and engineering can change lives, society and the economy. High tech exports create real wealth and jobs, and will help set us on a course for sustainable prosperity. If we don’t capitalise on our engineering expertise now they’ll be no turning back.

“Change must start with the Government. We in Britain have brilliant minds, a world renowned university system, and a base of ingenious, specialist technology companies. We need to build on this success: encouraging more people to become engineers and scientists by developing a cultural attitude and education system that encourages and nurtures new talent. Then we need to harness their ideas and turn them into products the world wants.”

Dyson’s report looks at:

Culture: The UK’s science, engineering and manufacturing base has been neglected for decades. As result they are undervalued and misunderstood. Government can change attitudes through encouraging research, delivering skills and backing significant infrastructure projects. It must make early and bold decisions on large scale engineering projects to demonstrate Britain’s high tech ability.

Education: Science, Design and Technology in schools have been marginalised and the UK is not producing enough scientists and engineers. We need to encourage more people to take up these subjects - and produce the best teachers to inspire them. Government should make teacher recruitment more flexible and encourage independent schools to share there expertise and experience with state schools.

Universities: Globally, the UK excels at university based research, but a disjointed system means that little of our blue skies research is shared or used commercially by UK companies. Government should seek to reform how universities are funded and assessed to give them the flexibility to provide what students and companies want – such as shorter courses with industry experience.

Financing start-ups: There is not enough entrepreneurial finance available to fund innovative UK companies. This has been exacerbated by the global recession. Government must use the power of government guarantees to encourage lenders to extend credit to small, inventive businesses. Supporting high tech companies: If the UK is to compete and prosper as Europe’s leading technology exporter, we need to increase R&D investment. Tax credits must be refocused onto high tech companies, small businesses and new start-ups in order to stimulate a new wave of technology. When the public finances allow, the rate should be increased to 200%. The claim process must also be streamlined. These changes need not necessarily lead to a higher overall cost to the exchequer.

David Cameron said:

'James Dyson’s report represents an exciting and ambitious step forward in our desire to make Britain Europe’s leading generator of new technology. In it are the ideas that will help us create new, high-paying jobs right across our country. Dyson is one of Britain’s biggest success stories and Sir James Dyson knows better than any bureaucrat how you start a business, build it up and start selling to the world – and he’s put that knowledge into this blueprint for creating a generation of innovation and enterprise.

‘And the bigger picture of these plans is a real gear change in the make up of the British economy. I want us to be the country that moves forward, that really starts making things again, that sees a world full of opportunity, a world covered in new markets for us to sell our goods and products and services to. I want us to be a country that stops just borrowing and buying from China and instead really starts selling to China.

‘I’m excited about this future and I’m impatient to make it happen. From day one of a Conservative government we’ll encourage the entrepreneurs who will start the businesses which will drive the industries which will create the high-paying jobs this country needs. The talent and the ideas are out there in Britain, the opportunities for trade are out there in the world – now we just need to get Britain open for business.’

The full report can be found here.

For more information contact: Daniel Crowley, Dyson Press office: 020 7833 8244

Dyson Taskforce – statements of support:

Sir John Rose, Chief Executive Rolls-Royce: "James Dyson has done an excellent job in identifying some of the steps the UK needs to take to rebalance its economy. To be successful we must ensure that our education system produces the skills required to support high value manufacturing and services. It is also important to recognise that governments have a direct role to play in shaping and developing economic activity. Whether by tax credits, grants or other incentives the UK Government needs to compete for investment with other countries where this type of intervention is considered entirely usual."

Sir Christopher Gent, Non-Executive Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Plc. “Science and engineering are vital for the rebalancing of the British economy. James Dyson’s report is a thorough and thoughtful review of how to further strengthen the UK’s excellence in these fields and to create related economic benefit. Deeper, more strategic relationships are needed between universities and business to encourage the translation of research into products and services. Removing barriers to cluster development and creating increased opportunities for movement of staff between industry and academia are both important measures but as well as strengthening translation, we must not neglect ‘blue skies’ research, the stimulus for many useful industrial applications. Overall, the focus must be on excellence, providing increased support to those areas where the UK is globally competitive. Also key to increasing investment in the UK by innovation-intensive companies is the development of a more competitive tax regime; GSK is very supportive of the creation of a patent box and welcomes the support for this policy measure by the Dyson report.”

Prof Sir Peter Knight FRS, Deputy Rector (Research), Imperial College “James Dyson is right. We have some inherent strengths. The UK is the sixth largest manufacturing economy in the world and has four of the top ten global universities. If we harness the best of both worlds, we can grow our high value add industries. Recognising the important role that universities have in delivering new ideas and new opportunities is the first step. The measures that James has set out to encourage industry and academic collaborations are important and necessary steps to allow us to transform our economy.”

Richard Green, Chief Executive, The Design and Technology Association “ This is an important report that should be taken seriously by any government. It shows how STEM education provides all young people with essential skills to live and work in an advanced technological society. What the report also does is to highlight the importance of STEM’s silent D (for design) that is provided by Design and Technology in both primary and secondary schools. A subject that can combine scientific, mathematical and technological rigour with design, creativity and innovation is educationally very powerful.”

James Dyson Foundation

James has been championing science and engineering for a number of years. The James Dyson Foundation was set up in 2002 to promote the design, engineering and technology education. This included developing an engineering school in Bath. Last year the Foundation donated £5m towards a new building at the Royal College of Art. The Dyson building will house 40 incubator pods that will help postgraduates develop their ideas into products and new start up companies. James is also the chairman of Design London.