Does the UK need it's equivalent to the Moon landings?
Discussion
Do we need a project, or set of projects for the country to get behind and to drive innovation, enterprise, technology and leadership? They might be engineering, mechanical, electronic, civil, chemical or biological - should there be a big commitment to some 'big goal' that can involve and excite people?
In the 1970's there was a huge investment around Cambridge, Wilson's 'white heat of technology' - and the firms that grew from that disintegrated into a host of hi-tech start ups and of shoots. You can trace the lineage through to a couple of billion dollar companies and many other innovative groups. It has had a long term and positive effect on the region and beyond and Cambridge is well established as a centre of excellence worldwide that brings in further talent and investment.
So should we have something to aim for, to invest in? Should we commit to transforming the country in some way, or making a grand gesture that will involve and encourage the best of British traits? Is there such a thing in modern times?
In the 1970's there was a huge investment around Cambridge, Wilson's 'white heat of technology' - and the firms that grew from that disintegrated into a host of hi-tech start ups and of shoots. You can trace the lineage through to a couple of billion dollar companies and many other innovative groups. It has had a long term and positive effect on the region and beyond and Cambridge is well established as a centre of excellence worldwide that brings in further talent and investment.
So should we have something to aim for, to invest in? Should we commit to transforming the country in some way, or making a grand gesture that will involve and encourage the best of British traits? Is there such a thing in modern times?
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Reaction Engines Skylon.....
In fairness that has £6million of funding, if they can prove that the heat exchangers required for it work and can be made on a reasonable scale it should go a head as a project. Will probably be an uninspiring euro project though rather than a plucky British one.
I don't think that we need a project for everyone to work around such things are rare and people tend to forget that they will always be people objecting to big projects even ones that are ultimately unsuccessful.
The first thing that needs to be done is to recognise that it is important for the social health of the nation to have tangible products that are demonstrably British in the hands of the general public. It doesn't have to be made in the UK (an IPod isn't made in America but it is American) just designed and managed from here.
Reference the outcry when Caburys was taken over, it wouldn't be such a shame but there doesn't appear to be very many companies coming along to replace it. The FTSE 100 only has two "new economy" firms in it Vodafone and ARM (new entrant), which looks fairly poor compared to the number of massive US companies in the same markets.
The route forward is to run a well funded elite technical education system with solid links into industry followed by strong venture capital. We are sort of heading in the right direction but we are no where near the best at the moment.
In fairness that has £6million of funding, if they can prove that the heat exchangers required for it work and can be made on a reasonable scale it should go a head as a project. Will probably be an uninspiring euro project though rather than a plucky British one.
I don't think that we need a project for everyone to work around such things are rare and people tend to forget that they will always be people objecting to big projects even ones that are ultimately unsuccessful.
The first thing that needs to be done is to recognise that it is important for the social health of the nation to have tangible products that are demonstrably British in the hands of the general public. It doesn't have to be made in the UK (an IPod isn't made in America but it is American) just designed and managed from here.
Reference the outcry when Caburys was taken over, it wouldn't be such a shame but there doesn't appear to be very many companies coming along to replace it. The FTSE 100 only has two "new economy" firms in it Vodafone and ARM (new entrant), which looks fairly poor compared to the number of massive US companies in the same markets.
The route forward is to run a well funded elite technical education system with solid links into industry followed by strong venture capital. We are sort of heading in the right direction but we are no where near the best at the moment.
tegwin said:
The problem is.. most people are now so obsessed with "celebreties" that they couldnt really give a monkeys about the latest "scientific development"...
Gone are the days when the masses were amazed and enthused by these leaps in technology....
But the two could be combined surely so instead of I'm a celeb' get me out of here, we could have I'm a celeb' get me to the moon on time or something. Then all these d list celebs would have to be test fired upwards in prototype sky-rockets & such, we might lose a few with mechanical failures, fire & explosions but think of the ratings. The winner would be the one that survives all the test launchings & actually makes it to the moon first, obviously there will be nothing in the contract about returning their useless asses to the planet earth.. win win. Gone are the days when the masses were amazed and enthused by these leaps in technology....
No.
The UK needs lower taxes and less regulations.
Cambridge has been a centre of innovation since Isaac Newton got hit on the head with an apple there, and whatever Harold Wilson's white heat of technology mularky did for Cambridge is as nothing compared to the ruination his stupid government heaped on the rest of the country.
The UK needs lower taxes and less regulations.
Cambridge has been a centre of innovation since Isaac Newton got hit on the head with an apple there, and whatever Harold Wilson's white heat of technology mularky did for Cambridge is as nothing compared to the ruination his stupid government heaped on the rest of the country.
Perhaps you guys need to come up with an original idea like the chaps in Wellington have.
Just embarrassing.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/96787/capital-g...
Just embarrassing.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/96787/capital-g...
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