Dyson is in the news frequently and so a dedicated thread.

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DysonInventsBig wrote:

Finally an answer to the progress of the dyson high school for engineers:

Dyson School

Most people think engineering is about greasy overalls and repairing things - it's probably why so many young people choose not to study it these days.

For James Dyson, engineering is all around us: the cars we drive, new technology and thinking. His idea was for a new type of school to get young people involved in engineering and create a new generation of inventors - the Brunels of tomorrow.

Our aim was to build a school for young engineers in Bath, a city close to Dyson's base. There have been a number of obstacles to overcome and unfortunately the biggest hurdle - government bureacracy - has held the project up for too long. Reluctantly we've decided to move on from our original Bath site and hope to announce a new project shortly. If a school proves impossible we'll find another way. 

Carmine D.

[PS: highlight added by poster for emphasis].

As I understood it, 2 primary things happened...

1)  Small men and women in big chairs who love their old buildings had much control over Dyson building his school or not.  They won by attrition.
2)  As Dyson feared (publicly mentioning) that the city of Bath with its many delays would cause the British government to pull out of this school and invest in another school, and that's what happened.  The subsidy was given instead to a business school spearheaded by Peter Jones, that is said to get up and running with 1 year.

The Guardian gave the city of Bath the Turkey [award] over it’s decision to dismiss/deny the Dyson school. 
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/dec/14/year-in-design-2008

DIB

Although I'd personally prefer a 'Dyson school', the Peter Jones' headed National Enterprise Academy does sound very positive and encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs in the UK.

http://www.peterjones.tv/index.cfm?fuseaction=PeterJones.News_Article_Detail&content_id=84

For too long there's been the feeling that the government here pays lip service to helping entrepreneurs and spends more resources towards impressing corporate employers with a qualified, if un-outstanding workforce. People who might show great potential for building their own business are herded in to higher education, only to remain a life trapped in middle management.

Well Mr. Do Gooders:

Having spent some time in Washington DC, I learned that being right and doing good is often low on the totem pole for guaranteeing a done deal.  You have to schmooze the powers that be who control the power strings.  You do it with business savvy and smarts.  Not by impugning, demeaning, and mocking the powers with the authority to rule on your wishes any way they like.  Dyson dumb and arrogant.

Carmine D.

I believe the world is in greater need of strong inventors vice strong business persons.  My guess is (emphasis on guess)...  the ratio of strong inventors to strong business persons is probably 1 to 50.

Getting an engineering degree in of itself never moves life forward, it is the realistic dreamers with wealth creating ideas/inventions that move life forward (with or without a degree).  One of Sir James’ fondest inventions comes from a farmer (no education) who is first credited for putting wire inside his clay pots for strength.  To focus on or say wealth creating inventions come only thru an education is not historically accurate.  I was hoping the Dyson School was going to be more Walt Disney like where these young and moldable students could see first hand how they too could contribute “big” by allowing themselves to dream.  Yet much focus or messaging was about getting an education and to a much smaller degree - to invent.  I read many comments from the “This Is Bath” site where folks posted their friend or family member had an engineering education and was unable to find employment.  To dare to say Dyson or anyone is opening a school for inventors or an incubator for inventors is radical and may be met with much criticism and I say so let them criticize and prove them wrong once the “invention factory” begins to pay dividends.

DIB

Merry Christmas!

It's nice to be an inventor but useless without business smarts/luck and/or both.

WRT dyson school, politicians aka bureaucrats, get the pulse of the people and act accordingly.  There  is a clear message in the local government's decision to nix the dyson school.  If dyson and his fans don't get it, they need a reality check.  Even if they do get it, they need a reality check to win on the second go around else they will lose again!

No dyson bonuses.  2 legal loses from the ASA.  Nixed by the Bath government on the dyson engineering HS.  Worse global economy in over 50 years.  Dyson sales down 30 percent from the previous year.  Not much good news.

Merry Christmas, DIB!

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine,

It is clear you know little to nothing of this Dyson School saga or how Sir James was asked by the British government for help, led on, and then later to be mistreated.  After spending $6m of his own monies, promoting the school around the world, spending years of his life on this dream... in the end, he held his composure remarkably well, as good men do.

DIB

DIB:

As I said here before, what I know about the school, I read here from posters like you who posted the info.

In the final analysis, if you want something bad enough, nothing matters except getting it done.  Dyson didn't.  We can expound on the reasons, blame others for it, and make up excuses for the failure.  Doesn't change the outcome.  If dyson proceeds the same way in the future, it will most probably strike out once again.

Politicians, aka bureaucrats, get the pulse of the people before giving the nod.  Regardless of the worthiness and benefits.  If the people want it, the Bath decision would reflect that.  If the people are against it, a reason[s] are made up to scrub it.  From what I read here from the UK posters, the electorate was divided almost split down the middle both for and against.  When that's the case, there's something called "schmoozing" that comes into play to "win" a favorable ruling.  No "schmoozing" no deal done. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
I'll just tackle the above highlighted - An inventor who builds a solution others are willing to pay for, all without having any business sense or desire can sell or licensee their widget and go on to be a millionaire/multi-millionaire and this widget/reversed engineered copies can make billions (for the assignee mfg. and the innovative lazy mfgs.).  Not a bad payday for the non-business minded inventor as compared to some occupations.  Although some may consider walking to the mailbox ever 3 months collecting royalty checks dull and exhausting. 

DIB

Hello DIB:

Years and years ago, I had a retired insurance company executive as a professor for my first college level marketing course.  He said that you can invent a better mousetrap and wait for people to beat a path to your door to buy it.  Or, you can advertise, hire a team of sales people and sell it.  James Spangler invented the first portable upright vacuum cleaner in 1907.  But, it wasn't called a Spangler, it is called a HOOVER.  

Carmine D.