UK Motorsport Industry feels threatened

The BBC has an rticle on it's webpage:
UK motorsport industry in danger of being 'sidelined'
'Address problem'

"We find it difficult to imagine any other country sidelining such an important industry," the committee's chairman Peter Luff said.

"The government needs to address this problem if the UK is to maintain this pre-eminent international industry and help it flourish."

The UK motorsport business is centred around Silverstone in Northamptonshire, and supports 38,500 jobs and generates annual sales of more than £6bn.

The Commons committee now wants to see a specialist policy team set up, within Lord Mandelson's business department, with responsibility for the motorsport industry.

There are also worries that students in the UK prefer to study motorsport management rather than the more challenging subject of technical engineering.
The UK is responsible for a large proportion of the worlds motorsport technology. I assume Malaysia is now seen as a threat to that dominance.
LotusF1 has openly stated it's intention to transfer technology from Europe to Asia.

Interesting times!

The article goes on to say...

It said these overseas moves to capture motorsport business, often spearheaded by investment in hosting a Formula One race, posed a threat to the UK's current leading position.

The MIA said the industry was an "economic asset which requires less complacency and better awareness and active appreciation from government".

Meanwhile, the committee also noted in its report that the British Grand Prix at Silverstone was one of only two races in the FI calendar not to have financial support from the host government.

I think with the age of virtual learning, and the great respect emerging nations have for education, design and development is now a global possibility.

OEM's have for years talked about having 24hr a day design capability. The UK does 8 hours and transfers the files to Malaysia who design 8 hours and pass the files to the USA and so on.

The practicalities of doing this have not been overcome. Group Lotus for example have design centres in England Malaysia and the USA. Theoretically they could do this.

LotusF1 have designers in Germany (ex Toyota) assembly in the UK and corporate offices in Malaysia. Long term I assume they are looking at combining everything under one roof... Malaysia.

The times they are a changing!

I can certainly see that the possibility to deliver educational products 24 hours a day virtually globally is a very real possibilty.

I have embedded my old TV interview - thanks Bernama