British inventor James Dyson receives honorary degree from SUTD

SINGAPORE - The Republic is a place of bold ideas, said British inventor James Dyson, as he received an honorary degree from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on Nov 25.

Explaining his consumer electronics company Dyson’s strong presence in Singapore, he said it needed high-tech manufacturing lines to produce an electric motor it had developed that ran five times faster than others.

“Singapore had the expertise and the excellent engineers who could make the new technology. We have grown here ever since,” said Mr Dyson, adding that it now has 2,000 people working across the three campuses here.

The Republic is now the lead manufacturing site for Dyson’s patented Hyperdymium digital motors, which power most Dyson devices worldwide.

Over 100 million of these high-performance motors have been manufactured locally since 2004.

In addition to Dyson’s three campuses in Singapore – at the former St James Power Station, the Singapore Technology Centre, and its advanced manufacturing facility in Tuas – its leadership team and global functions are also based locally.

Mr Dyson received the Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree, SUTD’s highest recognition for outstanding individuals, from SUTD’s chancellor, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, at a special commencement ceremony held at the university. It is Mr Dyson’s first accolade from a Singapore university.

Accepting the recognition, he said the world needs more creative problem-solvers.

“Some say that AI (artificial intelligence) will replace jobs. Ultimately, it’s a tool. It can analyse. It can optimise. But it cannot imagine creatively. Doing the unexpected is the job of engineers,” said Mr Dyson, 78, who has been called the man behind the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner and bladeless fan.

He called upon young engineers in Singapore to build the future of engineering, urging them to believe in their ideas and not to fear failure, which is part and parcel of experimentation.

“Success demands determination to overcome problems. The harder you try, the more determined you are, the more success will come your way,” he said.

Considered a global icon of design and innovation, Mr Dyson has been internationally honoured over the decades, including being elected as a fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering in Britain, and appointed to the prestigious Order of Merit in Britain.

He was knighted in 2006 for his services to business.

At the conferring ceremony, SUTD chairman Lee Tzu Yang said Mr Dyson’s contributions to design and engineering “have been nothing short of transformative”.

“Over the past five decades, Sir James has redefined modern design and engineering through his relentless pursuit of better solutions,” he said.

His inventions like bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans, hand dryers and hair stylers have changed how people interact with and use technology in their everyday lives, Mr Lee added.

“Beyond his inventions, Sir James has made it his life’s work to nurture and inspire the next generation of inventors and engineers.”

The James Dyson Foundation was established in 2011 to support young people who aspire towards a career in engineering and design.

In 2017, Mr Dyson founded the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology in Britain, which runs a four-year engineering programme offering real-world working experience.

He also created the James Dyson Award in 2005, an international design competition that allows students to apply creativity and innovation to real-world challenges, and benchmark their ideas on a global stage.

In partnership with SUTD in 2022, the British billionaire established the

Dyson-SUTD Innovation Studios

, which will benefit more than 13,000 students across tertiary and secondary levels.

Here, SUTD students mentored by Dyson engineers develop hardware and software-driven solutions to global challenges. They also host workshops to introduce secondary school students to design thinking and innovation.

The James Dyson Foundation also

committed $3 million in 2022

to further support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education programmes across Singapore, which will reach more than 100,000 students.

SUTD president Phoon Kok Kwang said in a citation that the move to establish Dyson’s global headquarters in Singapore underscored Mr Dyson’s confidence in Singapore’s innovation and talent ecosystem.

Calling him a passionate advocate for engineering education, Professor Phoon said: “Sir James has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to nurturing future generations of inventors and engineers.”