In the United Kingdom, Dyson employs 3,500 people, but its CEO Sir James has warned of a “crippling shortage” of qualified engineers.
Sir James Dyson, a billionaire industrialist, has issued fresh criticism of the prime minister, claiming that his pledge to transform the United Kingdom into a science and technology superpower is merely a “political slogan.”
In a letter to The Times, the founder and chief engineer of the multinational technology company Dyson complained that he has yet to meet the prominent British entrepreneur Rishi Sunak.
He wrote, “Ministers boast arrogantly that Britain will become a “science and technology superpower,” but their pitiful policies reduce this to a mere political slogan.”
“In the United Kingdom, Dyson now faces soaring corporation tax (eliminating any research and development tax credits) and a crippling shortage of qualified engineers.”
The ambition of Mr. Sunak to transform the United Kingdom into a science superpower after Brexit has been central to his premiership. The creation of a new Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology was a crucial component of this initiative.
In January, Sir James criticized the government’s “myopic” approach to business and cautioned the prime minister that growth is not a “dirty word.”
According to a government spokesperson, the United Kingdom is accessible for business as an “innovation nation”
They stated, “We have the largest tech sector in Europe, with a combined market value of £1trn by 2022, the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7, and world-leading strengths in science and R&D, supported by our £20bn R&D target and introduction of policies such as full expensing.”
“For the first time, the key technologies of the future, such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence, will be brought together in a dedicated Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology.”
The UK’s science and technology sector avoided a much-feared expenditure cut in Jeremy Hunt’s autumn budget, but experts in the field warned that the government must do more to realize the country’s potential as a “science superpower.”
