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Dyson is best known for its consumer gadgets like vacuum cleaners, hair styling products, and air purifiers, but now it’s entering a new generation of products.
Recently launched devices such as the 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum have “smart” features that require further software development – and the company has ramped up staffing in order to support these functions.
“We’ve already seen a tenfold increase in the number of our engineers working in software over the past years,” said John Churchill, Dyson’s chief technology officer. “We’re looking for the greatest talent, from college graduates to people with experience, to join us to transform Dyson into even more of a software world.”
The company is trying to recruit another 2,000 engineers globally, according to Dyson’s director of upstream robotics, Kashyap Chandrasekar.
“Robots and software are the largest groups of people we’re trying to recruit,” he said.
The Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum is on display at the company’s headquarters at St James’s Power Station in Singapore in May 2023.
Lauren Chu | CNBC
Another Dyson device that has garnered attention, due to its futuristic look, is the Dyson Zone — wearable filter headphones.
While the Region was criticized for its $999.99 price tag and bulky appearance, Churchill remained optimistic.
“With the new products, we have a high selling price because there is a lot of investment in terms of this technology,” he told CNBC in an interview.
“The first generation of products is really a stepping stone, in terms of the journey, and the products will continue to evolve.”
When asked about public health and access, Churchill said “we will continue to look at how we can bring the cost down to make it available to more people.”
Dyson global investment plan
Since its inception in 1991, its founder Sir James Dyson has been set on pioneering new technology. Dyson started in the UK, before launching into the Australian, European, American and Asian markets.
While Dyson has faced headwinds such as rising costs and chip shortages like many other consumer technology companies, the privately owned company reported 6.5 billion pounds ($8.15 billion) in revenue for 2022up from £6 billion the previous year.
The company currently has £2.75 billion investment scheme split across Singapore, the UK and the Philippines. The company already has R&D-focused subsidiaries in the UK, Malaysia and Shanghai – and is now investing £166m in a new technology campus in Batangas, Philippines.
Dyson’s headquarters in Singapore are at St James’s Power Station.
Lauren Chu | CNBC
A key part of Dyson’s global investment scheme is the 247,000-square-foot battery factory in Singapore. The company has estimated that it will be operational by 2025.
“Our new battery plant allows Dyson to have a long-term vision because it is backed by a very clear strategy from the government to allow us to make significant investments, with the confidence to back it up,” Churchill explained.
Singapore is in the spotlight
Dyson’s decision to build its battery factory in Singapore comes after the company moved its global headquarters to the city-state from the UK, and the company came under fire for the 2019 decision.And This is due in part to founder Sir James Dyson’s vocal support for Brexit.
Of the 14,000 employees globally, 1,400 are based in Singapore, including 600 engineers.
“If we have a manufacturing footprint in this part of the world, you need the engineers to be nearby,” Chandrasekar said. “It helps that there’s been a fair amount of government push also in robotics. There are a lot of initiatives. There are a lot of capable research groups. It all lends itself well to building the talent pool that can support this.”
Churchill added that Dyson sees itself as a global technology brand rather than a purely British one.
“We want to really understand some of those cultures and diversity that will inspire us to come up with new ideas, to solve problems that are relevant to people in different countries.”
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