Britain can become a world leader in technology, but it will need a cultural change

Britain can become a world leader in technology, but it will need a cultural change

It's not very often I link to an opinion piece but something about this guest column by renowned inventor and industrialist James Dyson (he of vacuum cleaner fame) struck a chord and so I thought I would share it.

There are many out there who are somewhat dismissive of Dyson, not least because of his company having outsourced manufacturing to the Far East at the expense of the British factory, but whatever you may think about Dyson's business practices there is much truth in what he says here. I too have often looked back at the likes of Whittle, Cockerell and Gresley amongst others and marvelled at their various ideas and inventions and then wondered why such innovation is not more actively encouraged today. Certainly we have many great engineers and inventors out there such as Dyson himself, Trevor Bayliss and Richard Noble, but is enough being done to make the country aware of their contribution, to celebrate their achivements and hopefully to inspire the next generation? Mr Dyson makes an interesting point.