Quote of the day by James Dyson: I've always believed that engineers rather than politicians will...

Sir James Dyson has long argued that engineering should focus on solving real-world problems. Here is what he means by putting engineers at the centre of tackling environmental challenges.

In Short

• Dyson said regulation helps when it pushes technological improvement in research
• He urged engineers to build products using less energy and material
• His bagless vacuum emerged after 5,127 prototypes and repeated trial and error

Dyson puts engineers at the centre of solving environmental problems.

“I’ve always believed that engineers rather than politicians will save the planet.”

The quote came in an interview with Anglo American, when Dyson was asked about government’s role in research. He said regulation is useful when it encourages technological improvement, while engineers should create technology using fewer materials and less energy.

WHO IS JAMES DYSON?

Sir James Dyson is a British inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and the founder and chairman of Dyson. He developed products by solving everyday problems.

His best-known creation grew from frustration with a vacuum cleaner that lost suction. Dyson developed a bagless cyclonic vacuum and built 5,127 prototypes before arriving at a working design. He says each failed prototype taught him something about the problem.

His company works across robotics, artificial intelligence, batteries and electric motors.

WHAT DOES THE QUOTE MEAN?

Dyson’s point is about engineering turning environmental problems into solutions. Technology can reduce the energy and materials needed to deliver useful products.

It also reflects his belief that engineers should experiment, test and improve ideas rather than following existing methods. For Dyson, solving a problem starts with understanding what does not work and developing something better.

OTHER QUOTES BY JAMES DYSON

• Enjoy failure and learn from it. You never learn from success.
• Success tells you nothing. Failure is interesting – it’s part of making progress.
• The time to push hard is when you're hurting like crazy and you want to give up, because success is often just around the corner.
• Having an idea for doing something better and making it happen - even though it appears impossible. That's still my dream.
• Young design engineers have the ability to develop tangible technologies that can change lives.

THE AWARD THAT CARRIES HIS NAME

The James Dyson Award is a design award run by the James Dyson Foundation. It is open to students and recent graduates of engineering, product design and industrial design.

The award asks participants to design something that solves a problem. Entries are judged on the invention and its development, including technical and commercial viability. It also recognises sustainability-focused designs.

In Dyson’s words, young design engineers can develop “tangible technologies that can change lives”.

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