Sir James Dyson is a man with a plan for UK technology, and it involves education and innovation.
The industrial designer has produced innovative designs that have swept the globe - including his famed bagless vacuum cleaner and the bladeless fan.
But, in an interview with TechRadar as part of Brit Week, Dyson has admitted that the UK is in dire need of change if it can continue to be a leader in the world of technology.
Risk averse
Dyson believes that, for a start we need to be less risk averse and more capable of taking quick decisions.
"We must take more risks," he explains. "When it comes to technology we should be bold in ambition and clear in terms of opportunity - thinking twenty years ahead.
"The pace of change is faster than ever but the potential is enormous. We have missed out on engineering high speed trains which will travel on British tracks and have not yet decided what direction we go in with renewable energy.
"We're behind, and we need quick and bold decisions to give us a competitive edge.Dyson engineers are perfecting technology that won't see the light of day for ten years; it may never see the light of day.
"There is not one 'spark' for invention - ideas need to be developed to be turned into commercial successes. And we have to start now."
Service industry fears
Dyson is concerned, like many people interviewed as part of Brit Week, that Britain's focus on the service industries could prove dangerous.
"Focusing on services alone is a threat to the economy," he explains.
"Recent GDP figures show that 76% of our economy is based on the service industry. If we don't turn ideas into exportable goods, we will lose our competitive edge.
"And without people to come up with these ideas, we will not improve the shape of the economy. Young people should be encouraged."
Aside from his own initiatives - like the James Dyson Foundation and the James Dyson Award, Dyson believes that we simply need more focus on science and engineering.
"We have great universities, but not enough young graduates to show for it," he suggests.
"In the UK, there are 37,000 engineering vacancies every year, but only 22,000 graduates. Many British companies have potential but a lack of skilled people can hold up invention and export.
"At Dyson we are trying to double our engineering team to 700. It is taking longer than planned. Britain's recent 'budget for making things' is promising but green shoots take a long time to develop; training in university must reflect that, in line with support for business."
He suggests that simple changes at schools could help: "Science and Engineering will be our future. Holding these subjects in high esteem is a good way of creating interest amongst our young people who will come up with the ideas of the future.
"Changes to the national curriculum could sideline subjects like Design & Technology. It should be encouraged instead; it combines the practical with the academic.
"It just needs an image change - a start would be calling it Design, Technology & Engineering."
Ultimately, however, Dyson believes that we need to get back to actually making tangible things, rather than sinking our efforts solely into the burgeoning digital world.
"Britain has a great heritage of invention and a thirst to adopt good technology." he says
"Digital fads are fine, but don't stand alone. We need to focus on creating products - tangible exports - which will contribute to long-term economic growth.
"We have great universities but we don't make the most of technology from them. It is the government's job to bring business and universities closer, so that their ideas can be commercialised."
So what one thing would Dyson suggest to rescue British tech? "Galvanise young people ? we need to back them in education so they can be the new inventors of the future."
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/XQZVQN3cmOE/story01.htm
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