The "Varyflush" water-saving device for toilets, the fully ergonomic keyboard, the under water bike and the talking potty are just some of the exhibits on display at the British Invention Show.
But how many will make it into our homes? Not enough, according to some of the world's most eminent inventors. Britain, once the cradle of inventions such as the printing press, the steam engine, electricity and the telephone, has turned its back on product innovation.
That's why inventor and businessman Paul Davidson has set up Facilities Corporate Management (FCM), a business accelerator fund to help inventors commercialize their ideas.
Davidson, who created the Oyster Converter -- a fitting that allows pipes to be joined without welding, soldering or compression -- knows all about the frustrations of an inventor.
"Inventors are treated with total disdain by business in this country, and yet they're some of the richest people in the world," he said in a telephone interview.
Davidson's innovative pipe-fitting was rejected by engineering firm Delta Plc. So he set up his own firm, Oystertec, which was so successful that in October it bought Delta's plumbing unit for ?28 million (US$40 million). But his case is the exception to the rule.
"I've heard estimates that Britain has lost as much as ?165 billion from inventions made here but exploited abroad," said Trevor Bayliss, inventor of the wind-up radio.
The hovercraft, the vertical take-off plane and CAT scanners are just a few British inventions lost to foreign manufacturers.
James Dyson, who invented the bag-less vacuum cleaner, blamed a smorgasbord of economic and cultural reasons for the decline of entrepreneurial spirit in Britain.
High interest rates, a strong pound, and a financial system obsessed by short-term returns have halved the country's manufacturing base since World War II. As most inventions are products that have to be made, this has devastated the market.
Dyson, who spent two fruitless years trying to sell his vacuum cleaners in Europe before being granted a licence in Japan within weeks, said Britain's education system was biased against practical disciplines such as engineering.
"It's a whole way of thinking we have lost," he said.
Sharing these concerns, Bayliss has set up the British Academy of Invention to provide advice, help and a forum for inventors to discuss ideas.
Davidson is also doing his bit for the industry. FCM is sponsored this month's British Invention Show in London. But he also sees a business opportunity.
"The mistake the government makes is to try to turn an inventor into a businessman," he said, referring to various schemes that provide small grants to set up enterprises.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
RSS