Rules and Guidelines
Want to participate in the discussions? Please read our Community Rules and Guidelines. Need some help? Visit Support and Answers.

  • State Not Answered
  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 37 replies
  • Subscribers 10 subscribers
  • Views 878 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
You may also be interested in
This discussion is locked.
You cannot post a reply to this discussion. If you have a question start a new discussion

Why Doesn't Britain Have a Huauei of its own?

Peter Brooks
This was the headline in the Guardian Opinion section for May 8 th 2019 written by Aditya Chakrabortty.


To answer this question he examines the history of GEC after Arnold Weinstock left in 1996  and <quote> "all hell broke loose" with the appointment of George Simpson (an accountant), and John Mayo (from the Merchant Banking world).


Even companies outside of Britain (examples RCA and Westinghouse)  have been afflicted by the same upper management failures.


What does Britain have to do to create a business climate that will allow world class companies to thrive?


Peter Brooks MIET

Palm Bay Florida USA
  • 0
    You can read more on that here:-
    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/05/22/darpa_n3_project/
  • 0
    Perhaps to address the original question, without bringing the industrial and related skills development strategies into it. It has frequently been observed that technology entrepreneurs tend to “sell out” once they can make a comfortable fortune, rather than keep the intellectual property and seek build further. Our own former president perhaps illustrates this trend, by selling out to Huawei  https://plumconsulting.co.uk/profile/william-webb/     


    In the light of recent controversy, I have no basis to comment upon Huawei, the power politics involved in the US China relationship, or the potential national security risks that the company might or might not create. I am just in this context, taking the Huawei to be an example global company offered up for the purpose of a discussion about the UKs competitive position.  As I said in an earlier post, I can’t see how the UK can do anything other than maximise its skills-base and develop its productivity, wherever the winds of political change blow.  Obviously the UK generally and the IET in particular has strong relationships with China, which I hope will continue to be mutually beneficial.  I also hope that the current trend of nationalist, populist, political disrupters will prove to be a passing phase rather than a slippery path towards escalating conflict.  Such forces have already caused some bitter divisions in the UK and created a political crisis, so I suppose we had better sort that out first?  

  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    I believe it does fundamentally come down to having a robust and enduring national industrial strategy. Relying on the market to deliver everything without proper government steer and enduring commitment, has seen many great national inventions and companies sold off for short term profit and leaving the UK very vulnerable to the whims of other nations trading with us, or not, and having to import, vulnerable, external IPR controlled technologies vital to our future.

    The UK Industrial Strategy, like all previous government 'strategies', has well meaning words, but what true enduring investment and exploitation commitment that benefits UK plc? Lots of good words about 'Five Foundations' (including digital infrastructure), four 'Grand Challenges' ((including AI and data revolution), five 'Sector Deals' (including AI), setting up an 'Industrial Strategy Council' (set up in Oct-Nov 18 bit what has it done?) and key Industrial Policies (including digital infrastructure and incentivising sectors). What has happened in reality for digitisation and growing and retaining national expertise, technologies and product/service companies to meet these aspirations and, following BREXIT, go out into the promised well-hyped 'new brave world' of trade and commerce and export for UK benefit for decades to come. If there is no true and enduring national industrial strategy (as China has had for decades and is now so dominant in a wide spectrum of future critical sectors and technologies), then the normal UK great innovation but poor exploitation cycle will continue: as great UK innovator companies start on their journeys with UK taxpayer seed corn money and hard earned UK R&D and set up risks, foreign investors/companies/sovereign wealth funds will be allowed to buy them and exploit our national ideas outside the UK.

    https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/the-uks-industrial-strategy 

  • 0
    I have one objection to the Title of this article about development of Brain-Computer interfaces- The article uses the word "BLOWN" (which effectively means wasted) instead of the word "INVESTED".


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA
  • 0
    The UK needs to investigate the successful  development of technology in other countries of the about the same population size.


    For example Singapore or Taiwan.


    Having worked for a South Korea company for a couple of years, I don't think the family centered organization would work in the UK.


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA  


  • 0
    One of the UK's biggest problem is the " quick rich" sales of it's successful start up companies to "vampire" oversea organizations.


    It is my suggestion that if the government supplies seed money to say a University started company then the applicable patents shall be owned by the Government for (say) 20 years.


    Also limit sales of the company to overseas buyers (so that they have a majority ownership) for again (say) 20 years.


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA
  • Former Community Member
    0 Former Community Member
    A great suggestion, so we get a good ROI on taxpayer investment, we keep control of tax-payer funded start ups for a good period of time, plus, we set up a self-funding cycle, so that profits from successful, partly government owned share dividends, go back into a re-investment in new start up fund - simples.

Join us to get the best from IET EngX.

Joining EngX lets you personalise your experience so you stay up to date on the topics that interest you, plus you’ll be able to make connections who are looking to collaborate, exchange ideas and more.

Join us Not now

Community Rules & Guidelines