Thread for great British products - post them here.

GingerSte

A few British triumphs for you...

Designed by Sir Norman Foster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millau_viaduct
Look - even Yorkshire folk can do quantum physics http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8504373.stm
A little bit of top end automotive engineering in the Midlands http://www.ricardo.com/
One of the top finite element structural analysis programs in the world, based in Kingston Upon Thames http://www.lusas.com/

I could go on.

olly300

New Balance - the only trainers/running shoes actually manufactured in the UK.

sjaypink

Thinking footwear, and after a mega trek in very muddy conditions, I'd say Hunter wellies (but not sure if they're still British? )

olly300

sjaypink wrote: »

Thinking footwear, and after a mega trek in very muddy conditions, I'd say Hunter wellies (but not sure if they're still British? )

An internet search has revealed like DMs they are now manufactured in China.

BTW New Balance isn't a British Company but the trainers/running shoes are manufactured in the UK. They have appeared on Working Lunch more than once.

Chorlton1_2

nickj wrote: »

fire extinguishers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqQ6Z-HmAqY

Chubb shut the Welsh factory years ago
China now I'm afraid, sorry

lightSwitch_3

Who invented the solar panel and the magnetic rail?

The first computers were british I think.

wymondham

the mini!! (car, not skirt) - ingenious design - cheap and reliable (if looked after)
until we sold out to BMW, who ruined it and made it a complicated and expensive small car... ;-(

fc123

GeneHunt wrote: »

Ready Meals (think Associated British Foods)

ABF also own Primark. They make what I call 'muffy' bread ...like Mothers Pride..I can't remember the brand.


We do lead the world in processed food ......how to take a lot of low grade basics and whip them up into a tasy, high margin product.

fc123

kabayiri wrote: »

A slightly more important angle I would suggest.

Think of the modern iconic products made in the last decade or 2, and then look at where they originated.

Ipod : Apple (US)
Iphone : ditto
Netbook : Generic Eastern, although Psion UK once had an edge there.
Wii : Japan
PS3 : Japan
Xbox : US
Google/Facebook/Amazon/Ebay/Skype/.... : US

It's okay saying we need degree-qualified young people, but we don't have a good recent record of backing new talent -- financiers here want sure-fire winners.

Will this change? Does it need to change?

If we think of next generation product, what are the odds of it being designed AND produced here?

I can see big market opportunity for hydrogen-based power units for vehicles; maglev trains; and virtual display devices, to mention 3. These are all big ticket / big investment / major punts though. Would our banks support us?

One of the biggest problems for designers/creators (whatever the product) is that you can come up with great ideas and products just by mucking around with factory machinery (that sounds wrong....not very H+S...but YKWIM?), different processes etc.

I can't even hint as too easy to ID but my close friends OH is at top of education and he says it is a real problem now just to get students some hands on workshop/factory experience.

The UK factory I use has rooms full of machinery and stuff...stuff I have no idea about. I was looking at all the embroidery machines and how they work. You can get an idea directly from that and it could be a seller.

The product may not have been thought of just from a sketch.

Knowing how things are put together and seeing it aids the design process too.

louise3965

Cath Kidston. Lovely flowery things http://www.cathkidston.co.uk/