Currently reading: Dennis wants "engineering focus"
Ron Dennis calls for UK to choose industrial engineering over finance

The UK needs to focus on “real” engineering such as the automotive industry, rather than the financial sector, in order to beat the recession, according to former McLaren F1 team boss Ron Dennis.

Dennis, Executive Chairman, McLaren Group and McLaren Automotive, was speaking at an automotive industry reception at the Houses of Parliament.

Read the full speech transcript

He believes that boosting the UK’s manufacturing output is the best way to secure long-term sustainable growth for the economy. “If we do not build our industrial market [share], Britain will simply be unable to generate the growth and wealth it needs to ensure a return to prosperity for our people,” said Dennis.

Dennis said that since the early 1990s the UK has focused too much on financial services, neglected manufacturing and has now fallen behind its competitors.

Read Steve Cropley's blog on Dennis's speech

He cited the example of Japan where the government has aggressively invested in research and development – a step that has seen Toyota top the car manufacturers' global R&D league table with an annual investment of £6.4 billion.

Dennis called for a four-point plan to boost British industry revolving around education, investment in R&D, greater participation between companies and government, and "daring to be different".

Read the road test of the groundbreaking McLaren F1

He added: “It is up to all of us, as employers, as colleagues, as parents and as a government, to reignite in young people a sense of passion in studying science, technology, engineering and maths, in order to open up more employment opportunities in those areas.

He suggested that science graduates be reimbursed part of their student loans after they have worked in a British-based science or engineering role for three years.

This would be paid for by tax concessions against profits for the companies employing the students.

McLaren Automotive was formed in 1989 and is responsible for the McLaren F1 and the new MP4-12C.

Andrew Papworth

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big x 26 July 2010

Re: Dennis wants "engineering focus"

Well, the UK still has the 5th biggest export economy in the World. The 6th if you strip out financial services.

I work in film special effects. We make things for films shot all over the World. There are thousands of companies exporting from the UK in many sectors.

dutchmaestro 22 July 2010

Re: Dennis wants "engineering focus"

jl4069 wrote:

Well said including..." UK is a banker's fiefdom and will probably ever be thus."

And so is this western (+east...china/Japan/Taiwan/Singapore/India) fiefdom ever be thus. And the only places we can even read about such truths of our actual plights is on far corners- completely off the beaten path, of the net such as here.

The last bits of journalism pouring out before quality assurance puts such offense to rest. j

you'll allmost certainly know this quote:

'Permit me to issue and control the money of the nation and I care not who makes its laws' - mayer amschel rothschild

and those who saw what was coming and warned against:

The central bank is an institution of the most deadly hostility existing against the Principles and form of our Constitution. I am an Enemy to all banks discounting bills or notes for anything but Coin. If the American People allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the People of all their Property until their Children will wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered - Thomas Jefferson 3rd president of the United States.

jl4069 22 July 2010

Re: Dennis wants "engineering focus"

Well said including..." UK is a banker's fiefdom and will probably ever be thus."

And so is this western (+east...china/Japan/Taiwan/Singapore/India) fiefdom ever be thus. And the only places we can even read about such truths of our actual plights is on far corners- completely off the beaten path, of the net such as here.

The last bits of journalism pouring out before quality assurance puts such offense to rest. j