Household appliance pioneer Dyson is being asked to give a “cast-iron guarantee” that its planned £100m research and development centre in Bristol will go ahead following the announcement that the group is axing 1,000 jobs in the UK.
West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris has written to the company seeking assurances over the plans while also asking whether staff at its existing Bristol office will be among those to lose their jobs.
Dyson employs around 3,500 people in the UK spread across its main offices and research hub in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, in London and in at One Cathedral Square in Bristol, where around 100 tech specialists work on a range of projects.
Last year Dyson announced it planned to open a £100m research and development hub in a waterfront building in Bristol’s Finzels Reach development, pictured.
At the time it said the centre would become home to hundreds of software and AI engineers working on a pipeline of new tech products.
Jake Dyson, son of founder Sir James and the company’s chief engineer, said it would focus on sensors, apps and ‘connectivity’ in future products.
Mayor Norris, pictured, who leads the West of England Combined Authority, said he wanted assurances that the new centre would still be built as planned along with more information about where the jobs axe would fall.
“Clearly this is a very disappointing and worrying situation for everyone concerned, not least the brilliant 100 tech workers who find themselves at risk of losing their jobs in spite of the fundamental strengths of the Bristol office,” he added.
“I hope a solution can be found to keep as many jobs safe as possible in the West of England region, and I have asked for a cast-iron guarantee that the £100m research and development centre will go ahead as planned.
“Locally, there are obviously limits to what the Combined Authority can do but I have offered its full assistance and have made it clear that we stand ready and will do all we can to support the company and workers to protect as many jobs as possible.”
In 2019 Dyson moved its headquarters to Singapore from Malmesbury in a move that drew widespread criticism.
However, Sir James – a supporter of Brexit – has himself been a harsh critic of UK economic policy for decades, particularly a lack of support, as he sees it, for the country’s manufacturing industry.
The company, which makes air purifiers and hair dryers alongside its iconic cyclone vacuum cleaner, is still highly profitable and last year boosted its research and development spending by 40% last year.
Meanwhile, the career section of Dyson’s website is continuing to advertise jobs at its Bristol base, including roles such as logistics and supply chain coordinator, order desk coordinator and e-commerce trading manager.
