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I agree in principle, but I recently had to buy some new power tools for a large project. I'm used to using the 'best' and never purchased anything except Festo when I was a tradesman. I was convinced by the sales guy I used to deal with that I didn't need to buy Festo as the cheaper brands had caught up quality wise.
So my worry is that we are too far behind, and now due to the massive investment and progress China and India has made in their R&D sectors and they can churn out high quality items far cheaper than we can.
bluebikerider-
I couldn't agree about the Festool kit not having an edge over most of the competition. Maffell however have had a few advantages in quality and operation over Festool for a while.
It's still a question of some customers being prepared to stick with a high quality product at a higher price for the minimal gains (i.e. System compatibility in Festool's case). There is no need to compromise manufacturing quality to compete in a crowded low price market and the Chinese will always have logistics adding cost and customer support is more difficult.
We are not behind any country in terms of our research and development. Our manufacturing industry and universities are at the bleeding edge of technology but the population has abandoned it as a profession.
As you say it's a question of perception, a lot people couldn't feel proud to work in industry or skilled labour, it's seen as a fallback from any easier way to make a good living. I could go on but I'm not that bothered whether people go to work to enrich this country or not. I have my own way of getting by and there will be demand for my skills all the time people are living in houses, come the zombie apocalypse I will have loads of plywood for the windows and be very handy with an axe!
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I agree in principle, but I recently ....
It's puzzling you conclude abandoning r&d is the answer.
Just one issue with putting all our eggs in the City of London basket is we'll end up even more of a tax haven - cue desparate disparities in wealth and (more importantly) quality of life.
Airhead
miro_o
I know it's going back pages to your comment about manufacturing but I've been busy.
I didn't suggest that we should be trying to compete with the cheapest manufacturers, I would like to see us producing goods like Miele/Festool/Fein. Brands that represent quality of manufacture with a no compromise price, in the same way that Clifton/Sorby etc represent some of the highest uncompromising quality in woodworking tools or Rolls Royce represents incredible engineering.
Our aerospace industry is one of the biggest in the world. Cutting edge manufacturing that applies to F1 and space is coming from some areas of the country. We have an amazing engineering culture which we could make more of.
I'm a tradesman and have been for 25 years, I do understand the argument you're making about young people/apprentices. I don't believe the answer is to increase the financial services casino which recently cost us all so much money to prop up, it currently hovers around 80% of gdp and doesn't need encouraging. What we have to hope is that people will maintain an interest in producing innovative products that can attract staff to work for/with them.
On the question of credit getting out of hand, that cycle began post-war as an effort to kick-start manufacturing. It's now kick started manufacturing around the world but not here.