Sir James Dyson has announced plans to invest £300m into the expansion of his company’s Wiltshire headquarters, creating 3,000 engineering jobs.
The British manufacturer’s Malmesbury base will double in size as part of the plans, while engineering numbers would triple as part of the largest expansion in the company’s history.
Dyson’s R&D facility, based in the Wiltshire town for 20 years, has overseen the development of products including vacuum cleaners and fans.
The new technology campus will feature research and development laboratories split over four buildings, with completion targeted for 2015.
Company co-founder Dyson told The Telegraph that he also plans to call on the government for further support.
“I’m begging the Government for more support. A grant to help students pay their fees would be an easy and obvious thing to do,” he said.
“I would also give proper salaries to people who stay on at university to do postgraduate research,” he continued. “They only get £7,000 to £10,000 a year. That’s a pittance if you’ve been an undergraduate for four years.”
Dyson, which filed the highest number of patents in the UK in 2012, also confirmed it is planning to hire 400 more engineers this year, offering a tempting starting bonus of £2,500-£3,500.
