Latest news with #JamesDyson
BreakingNews.ie
5 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Revenues slide by 30% to €25m at Irish arm of Dyson due to 'increase in market competition'
Directors at the Irish unit of Dyson mainly blame an increase in market competition for revenues sliding by 30 per cent to €25.1 million last year. New accounts by the maker of products in floorcare, hair-care, air treatment, lighting and headphones show that sales here plunged by €10.9 million from €36.09 million to €25.11 million in 2024. Advertisement As a result of revenues decreasing sharply on the island of Ireland at Dyson Ireland Ltd, pre-tax profits reduced by 21 per cent from €855,106 to €675,328. Dyson is owned by billionaire James Dyson and is best known for the invention of the bagless vacuum cleaner. The directors for the Irish unit state that 'the reduction in turnover and profit before tax is primarily due to increase in market competition'. The reduction in revenues at the Irish unit in 2024 followed a 20 per cent decline in revenues from €45.4 million to €36.09 million in 2023. Advertisement Numbers employed at the Irish arm decreased by 25 or 37 per cent from 67 to 42 in 2024, and the profits take account of restructuring costs of €163,488. Numbers in selling and distribution reduced from 59 to 37, while numbers in administration went down from eight to five. Staff costs reduced from €2.52 million to €2 million. The directors state that 'a reorganisation that occurred in the later part of the financial year led to the reduction in average headcount". Advertisement They state that this "did not have a significant financial impact to the full year performance of the company". The job losses at the company arose from the Dyson Group announcing a global review on July 9th 2024, of its structure, which put certain jobs at risk of redundancy. In the UK alone, Dyson planned to cut up to a third of its workforce there, and the proposals would ensure it was 'prepared for the future' amid what it called 'increasingly fierce and competitive global markets'. The Irish company recorded post-tax profits in 2024 of €508,781 after incurring a corporation tax charge of €166,547. Pay to directors declined sharply from €249,008 to €142,736. The profit in 2024 takes account of non-cash depreciation costs of €88,253, while operating lease rentals reduced from €550,307 to €150,203. Shareholder funds at the end of 2024 stood at €8.06 million and included accumulated profits of €6.6 million. Ahead of Brexit, Mr Dyson relocated the firm's global corporate HQ from England to Singapore, and the immediate parent of the Irish entity is Dyson Home Technologies Pte Ltd. The process to relocate from the UK involved the voluntary winding up of the Dyson Weybourne Group, which had assets of £4.53 billion at the time in May 2019.
Vogue Singapore
21-07-2025
- Vogue Singapore
"The goal is to set something up so that it grows beyond your own lifetime": Sir James Dyson on his design legacy
The new Dyson PencilVac is a true testament to the brand's innovative spirit. With a body that is the same width as the handle of a Dyson Supersonic hairdryer, it is the world's slimmest vacuum, and weighs only 1.8kg. Coupled with a cleaner head that swivels in all directions and cleans from both front and back, it practically floats across the floor with little to no effort. In the meantime, four fluffy conical brush bars at the bottom work to quickly untangle long hair so that they don't get stuck in the process. When the cleaning's done, a new hygienic bin emptying system allows you to thoroughly clear out the dirt without getting your hands dirty at all. All this to say, the PencilVac makes the act of vacuuming as easy and painless as it can get—at least until Dyson eventually dreams up something new down the line. None of which is surprising, of course, given that Sir James Dyson himself founded the company in 1991 by inventing the world's first bagless vacuum. Created to solve the problem of bagged vacuums losing suction as they picked up dirt, the seminal product took five years and 5,127 prototypes to perfect. Since then, the brand has grown into an empire that is constantly pushing the boundaries of technology as we know it—built on James Dyson's revolutionary vision. In a rare interview whilst in town for the launch of the Dyson PencilVac in Singapore, he opens up on his design ethos, the future of innovation and the legacy he hopes to leave behind. James Dyson with the PencilVac's new Fluffycones cleaner head. Courtesy of Dyson Dyson is constantly making breakthroughs when it comes to appliances—how do you decide what technological boundaries to push, or what problems to solve next? We're all consumers, using things every day. As an engineer, you judge whether it's good or not, and when you can see something's being done badly, you want to do it better. Mostly, it's pretty obvious, like how a vacuum cleaner with a bag is a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea when I was nine and my mother made me vacuum the house, but people weren't expressing this because that's all there was back then. In breaking the mould, is there ever a fear that consumers will not respond to a product well? If you're doing something different and new, sometimes it'll catch on, sometimes it won't. You can't guarantee a new product would be successful. Nobody can, and that's what makes it exciting. I never want to be a gambler, but I do gamble with products. I didn't know whether people wanted a vacuum cleaner without bags. All you can hope is that people think in the same way that you do. What was the thought process behind creating the Dyson PencilVac? Everybody complains that vacuums are too heavy. Everybody complains that hairs get wrapped around the brush bar. By the way, I love complaints, because they give me ideas. But the PencilVac is designed to solve those problems. James Dyson demonstrating the PencilVac's ability to lie flat to clean under furniture. Courtesy of Dyson Over the course of your career, do you feel like your approach to design and innovation has evolved? Conceptually, not much. What was slightly unusual about my approach at the beginning was that I trained as a designer and then became an engineer. But at the time, in the 1960s, that was quite a bold decision. There were engineers on the one hand, and industrial designers on the other, and never the two shall meet. They were opposing camps. One wore white coats and the other wore pink shirts and drew things with felt tip pens. But I decided that was wrong, and that how something looked and how it worked were strictly mixed up and should be done by the same person. So I figured that out, and went against the flow, and that hasn't changed during my life. I've gone on doing that. Of course, everything else has changed. Software has come a long way, and all sorts of things like that, but my basic approach is the same. I'm not splitting design away from engineering—it's the same thing. The principle I started with has stayed with me. How do you know when the design is truly done, especially when innovation is ongoing? The lovely thing about engineers and scientists is they're never satisfied. So if you left it to them, they would never produce a product, because they just go on improving it and changing it. You set out to produce something, and halfway along, you have another idea, or you discover a better way of doing it—which is great, but it mustn't stop you from bringing out the thing you set out to develop. So you have to have a goal, and when you meet the goal, then you put it into production. James Dyson with the new PencilVac. Courtesy of Dyson As an inventor, do you believe that new is always better? Not always, but as the world changes, we've got to try and improve things, even if sometimes we don't succeed. I hope that most new things are an improvement, otherwise they couldn't sell. But regardless, we should move forward. You are 78 this year. You've been designing for five decades now, and have grown Dyson into an empire. What is the legacy you hope to leave behind? Nothing stands still—not time or technology or design. The world changes so fast all the time. But inside I still feel young, even as the body starts failing. I'll go on doing this as long as I can. It's a bit like planting trees. I plant trees now, and I might never see them grow fully in my lifetime. But it doesn't mean I shouldn't do it. I'm doing it for other people. The goal is to set something up so that things can change and grow way beyond your own lifetime. I'm really lucky because I have a son who loves doing what I'm doing, so the company will carry on, and he'll do it in a slightly different way—and probably better than me. Find out more about the new Dyson PencilVac here .
Fast Company
16-07-2025
- Science
- Fast Company
Why James Dyson got into vertical farming
BY Inside a greenhouse in the English countryside, one of the newest inventions from Dyson just went through its first large-scale test: an 18-foot-tall rotating wheel of strawberry plants, designed to ensure each plant gets its share of sunlight. Dyson, the multibillion-dollar brand, is best known for designing products like vacuums and ultra-high-end hair dryers. But the company also bought a farm in 2013, and now owns 36,000 acres of land across the U.K. James Dyson, who grew up in rural England—and hauled potatoes as one of his first jobs—realized that engineering and design could play a role in helping solve some of the challenges of the food system. 'There is a real opportunity for agriculture to drive a revolution in technology, and vice versa,' he says.
Time Magazine
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
The Quiet Dread of Wedding Season—and How to Cope
Earlier this summer, I gave the Best Man's speech at a spectacular, fairytale wedding on the Amalfi Coast. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique challenge of putting pen to paper, somehow blending soppiness and sexual innuendo. I was blown away by the panoramic view from a Ravello rooftop. But around my eighth Aperol Spritz, I engaged in the existential crisis that is common practice for plenty of 'midults' like me. As the poolside dance-floor filled, I was saddled with a sense of feeling stuck. I was happy for my friends, and honored to play a role in their special day, but suddenly acutely aware of my own situation. A year ago, I was made redundant from my job at a technology magazine. Although I've made a decent fist of freelance journalism and copywriting since, the feast or famine routine is a far cry from the stability I had hoped for in my 30s. Mortgage lenders don't look kindly on the self-employed. I don't have any paid holiday or sick leave. So as my partner and I clinked glasses and twirled under the moonglow, with our own wedding to plan and pay for in a few months, I was racked by guilt for not having surer footing. I should be further ahead by now. I should be more settled. These are anxieties I deal with most days. But weddings tend to exacerbate them. Don't get me wrong, there are aspects of weddings I enjoy: the chance to catch up with old friends, tear-jerking toasts and, ideally, a free bar. There are others I have to psych myself up to endure: wearing a suit in sweltering heat, Journey's Don't Stop Believin', and the painful introspection brought on by that innocent yet loaded question from other guests: what are you up to these days? Weddings, in my experience, tend to follow a similar script. They assume forward momentum. People only really want you to share positive news: think baby, promotion, or plan for your next home renovation. If you can't deliver, then small talk is tough. But not going to weddings isn't really an option. I'm not made of stone. I care. Regardless of my own personal frustrations, I love my friends, and I don't want to disappear from the happiest chapters of their lives just because I'm still figuring out my own stuff. So, with a couple more weddings still to get through this summer, I've come up with a four-point plan for how I can survive—with my self-esteem and my soul intact. Firstly, I need to remember that it's not a race. People get their breaks at different stages in life. It took Sir James Dyson over 5,000 prototypes before launching the first Dyson vacuum cleaner at 46. Julia Donaldson did not publish The Gruffalo until she was 50. Colonel Sanders only started franchising KFC at 62. Secondly, I want to invest in my own milestones. Whether it's related to work or fitness, I'm going to say well done to myself when I deserve it. Every article I write for a big publication is something that teenage me would be thrilled about. Getting a new personal best at Parkrun is also worth a pat on the back. According to one study last year, engaging in just 20 seconds of daily self-affirming talk can lead to significant improvements in wellbeing and stress reduction. Thirdly, I'm going to have an exit strategy early doors. Not every wedding needs me on the dance-floor until midnight. I'm going to give myself permission to be more self-caring with my time. I'll stay for as little or as long as I feel equipped to deal with. Finally, I'm going to pre-load my pre-wedding schedule. I'm going to book in the small things that nourish me: a long walk, a good book, a trip to the cinema, or dinner with someone who really gets what I'm going through. Read More: When Life Is Chaotic, Less Is More Emotional stamina is real and if weddings are marathon events, it's important to hydrate first. It's vital that I've had a couple of months or weeks before I go to a wedding, that are full of things I enjoy doing, so the day doesn't feel like an exclamation point to a rut. I don't think any of these ideas are bulletproof. I'm sure there will still be moments that'll hit me hard—like a speech that sounds like a blueprint for the life I thought I'd have by now. But I'm adamant that when I do meet these moments, I'll do so with a bit more grace and calm than I have done in the past. I will attend more weddings before I've finished figuring my stuff out. I'll clap; I'll cry; I'll give thoughtful gifts. I'll also keep a quiet knowledge that life doesn't move in perfect choreography—and that's OK. Looking back, that night in Italy was both difficult and delightful. Great pasta helped. While weddings often highlight the uneven rhythms of life, they are also moments when we come closest to belonging—not because we've 'arrived,' but because we've shown up anyway.
Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Graduates are not screwed if they study engineering: James Dyson in response to Economist article
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox British inventor and billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson, 78, said design and science students will hold up well in the age of artificial intelligence. SINGAPORE - Today's graduates are not doomed if they study engineering, despite a poor job market. This belief has long been held by British inventor James Dyson, 78, who has been thinking of bringing to Singapore his company's degree apprenticeship programme in engineering, where undergraduates earn a salary and pay no fees. 'A country's wealth is established by engineers and scientists,' the British inventor and billionaire entrepreneur told The Straits Times in a rare one-on-one interview on June 30 at the former St James Power Station, now the global headquarters of Dyson , the consumer electronics company he founded. In response to a June 16 article in The Economist titled 'Why today's graduates are screwed' , he said: 'I don't think that applies to engineers and scientists.' Citing the US Bureau of Labour Statistics and employment data in the European Union and Britain, the article said that employers have trimmed jobs in graduate-friendly industries, and that graduates are losing their wage premiums. Mr Dyson is stubbornly optimistic that engineering, design and science students will hold up well, saying that artificial intelligence (AI) can never replace the human brain for creativity. 'AI can pretend to be creative by combining things, but I don't think it can ever truly be creative and do something different and unexpected,' he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Asean needs 'bolder reforms' to attract investments in more fragmented global economy: PM Wong Singapore CPF members can make housing, retirement and health insurance plans with new digital platform Singapore CPF's central philosophy of self-reliance remains as pertinent as ever: SM Lee Singapore Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined Asia Dalai Lama hopes to live beyond 130 years, much longer than predicted Singapore Tan Cheng Bock, Hazel Poa step down from PSP leadership; party launches 'renewal plan' Sport Liverpool will move on after Jota's tragic death, but he will never be forgotten Singapore Rock climbing fan suddenly could not jump, get up from squats Gesturing towards the Dyson PencilVac, its latest slim cordless vacuum cleaner, and the firm's range of slim hairdryers in the interview room, Mr Dyson said that AI did not create these products. British inventor and billionaire entrepreneur James Dyson, 78, with the latest Dyson PencilVac vacuum cleaner's motor - its smallest and fastest with a diameter of just 28mm or the size of a 50 cent Singapore coin. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO During the hour-long interview, he also spoke passionately about original ideas, experimentation and creativity, as well as changes that need to be made to what and how students study. These concepts are key to survival in a world disrupted by AI, experts say. AI will undoubtedly do away with routine jobs as automation has with typists, said Mr Dyson, confronting the topic of layoffs, which have been seen in the past year at tech firms including Dyson, TikTok, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon and Meta. And the bar continues to be raised, as knowledge workers, who were once thought to be safe, are also now at risk of being replaced. Those at risk include paralegals, tutors, writers, graphic designers, software coders and stock traders. Mr Dyson said matter-of-factly: 'Creativity will become harder because you have got to be better than a machine, better than AI, right?' Declining to go into the specifics of Dyson's surprise 2024 global job cuts , he said that organisations have to change with the times. 'The world is changing where things are made, how they are made, how you can move quickly and where the areas of expertise are. You can't go on with the old set-up. You have to adapt to the new set-up. And unfortunately, along the way, that creates different jobs, and some of the old jobs go,' he said. In late 2024, Dyson cut an undisclosed number of jobs in Singapore following a global restructuring move that involved about 1,000 job cuts in Britain. Staff here were reportedly shocked, given that the firm had announced it was stepping up investments in Singapore. Mr Dyson did not want to specify what roles were made redundant, but acknowledged that it is not always possible to reskill staff for new roles. In 2022, Dyson said it would invest $1.5 billion in its Singapore operations over the subsequent four years, and committed to hire more than 250 engineers and scientists across robotics and machine learning. The firm confirmed on June 30 that it is still committed to the plan. In 2023, it recorded a 9 per cent year-on-year increase in profit to £1.4 billion (S$2.4 billion), on a 9 per cent rise in global revenue of £7.1 billion. Despite global headwinds, it also increased its research and development expenses by more than 40 per cent in 2023, bringing total expenses to more than £2 billion since 2021, putting what it preaches into practice. Today, the company still hires some 2,000 employees in Singapore, half of whom are engineers key to the development of its latest PencilVac, which will go on sale here on July 14. The product's patented digital motors are made in Singapore, with one motor rolling off its Jurong manufacturing line every two seconds. These motors power its vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and hair dryers. Dyson had also said in 2023 that by the end of 2025, next-generation batteries would be produced in a new 247,000 sq ft plant located in Tuas . It had called the plant the most significant investment in advanced manufacturing in the company's history. The next-generation batteries would be smaller, lighter, more sustainable and more energy-dense than the ones available today, according to the company. Mr Dyson, who travels to Singapore almost every month from Gloucestershire in the UK, where he lives, did not want to confirm if the battery plant is on track to open. During one of his visits in February, he gave Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong a preview of the PencilVac's motor, the firm's smallest and fastest vacuum motor with a diameter of just 28mm, the size of a 50-cent Singapore coin. Singapore is where Dyson's patented digital motors are made, with one motor rolling off its Jurong manufacturing line every two seconds. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO 'He was very excited,' said Mr Dyson. 'I can't emphasise more that the ability to put the new, pioneering technology into production is a great skill for a country to have.' Speaking broadly on education, a topic he is highly critical about, he said that some reverse engineering might be necessary to inspire students to study engineering. 'The academic nature of university teaching may suit some people, but it doesn't suit everybody. And when you have gone through it, are you still able to be creative? And the dryness of academic work, where you are just learning a theory all day long for three years, or whatever it is, is that the best way to learn?' Drawing on his experience pioneering a degree apprenticeship programme in the UK, he said: 'Would it be better to do what we are doing with our own university, where people work for three days with the best scientists and engineers in the world, and then have two days of academic teaching where they are inspired to do the academic side of things because they realise they can then answer the questions on the practical side.' Founded in 2017, the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology in the UK runs a four-year engineering programme offering real-world working experience on the site of Dyson's design centre in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. The institute initially awarded degrees validated by the University of Warwick. But in 2021, it was given the authority to award its own degrees – a first in Britain, and also possibly in the world. Today, its 168 undergraduate engineers earn a salary and pay no tuition fees to create real products. Dyson has been actively engaging the Singapore authorities for a number of years to do more to inspire students here to be interested in science and engineering designs. It is mulling over several options to intensify these efforts, including bringing to Singapore its degree apprenticeship programme. 'We are looking at it,' he said, adding that 'the model for Singapore might be slightly different' because Dyson has existing internship programmes with local universities. Every year since 2019, up to 50 interns from the four local universities go through Dyson's doors doing stints between three and 12 months, providing a pipeline for its manpower needs. The proportion of people in Singapore taking engineering and science at university is also higher than in the UK, he noted. Born in Norfolk, Mr Dyson spent a year at the Byam Shaw School of Art before reading furniture and interior design at the Royal College of Art. There, he made the switch to industrial design. 'My chief engineer studied engineering and then studied design, and then came to me to practise as a designer engineer. We have quite a few of those. That is a very good combination, right?' he said. 'But we also feel that we can teach design by osmosis.'
