The Conservative Party has given vacuum cleaner and former wheelbarrow magnate Sir James Dyson the job of the UK's 'tech tsar', which involves heading a task force to boost Britain's high-tech exports.
Dyson, best known for his vacuum cleaners, awesome high-powered hand dryers and wheelbarrows with balls on, will hopefully help David Cameron's party to improve the perception of the UK's technology industries on the world stage.
Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke slammed the Labour government, claiming that they "have failed to encourage private sector investment in new technologies", adding that the Tories "will look at ways to unlock the talent in our universities and allow a new generation of hi-tech exporters to flourish".
Cash for UK start-ups
While 39 per cent of all private equity investments in the States goes to start-ups, the same figure for the UK is a measly 4 per cent.
Dyson argues that the UK needs "to awaken our creativity and competitive spirit… if we nurture the next generation of scientists and engineers then Britain could become Europe's hi-tech capital".
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cyberotechradar
October 13th 2009
3. well spotted nicholasmerritt, that 4 % to UK startups has to change, how different the BBC's' Micro Men' might have been if that figure were as high as the US 39% in the 1960's and 70's ; of course there is, in the current climate an ironic benefit that 96% of startups go abroad from the UK, as all other countries experience their credit crunch recovery before the UK does :-)
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drawingbreath
October 5th 2009
2. The irony of this would be comical if it wasn't a tragedy.
Didn't the new "Tsar" export the manufacture of all Dyson cleaners to Malaysia?
I know someone that used to clean his jet. It got a lot bigger and took longer to clean after that little switch that lost 1000's of jobs.
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nicolasmerritt
October 5th 2009
1. The problem is at heart financial. It's not one of image or necessarily even engineering.
"While 39 per cent of all private equity investments in the States goes to start-ups, the same figure for the UK is a measly 4 per cent"
I am not sure how Dyson can hope to address this.
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