Dyson has postponed plans for a £100m technology and research center in Bristol, choosing instead to consolidate its south-west operations into its main campus in Malmesbury in Wiltshire.
The move will see 180 staff – previously assigned to Bristol’s George Square 1 – move to the company’s main site, which also houses the Dyson Institute and its engineering degree programme.
The British technology company, best known for its vacuum cleaners and hairdryers, had originally announced the Bristol center in 2023. However, Bill Wright, Dyson’s UK HR director, said bringing the teams under one roof would support the approach. The company’s collaborative research and innovation. “As the pace of innovation and development accelerates, we are increasingly seeing the benefits that can come from having all teams together in one physical location,” Wright explained.
While it has already invested significantly in refurbishing the Bristol site, Dyson has confirmed that 1 Georges Square will now be put on the market for rent. The company says it will help employees get around by offering bus service and offering free charging points for electric cars to mitigate the impact of the move.
This latest development follows Dyson’s global review, which last year led to it announcing it would cut up to a third of its UK workforce. The decision also comes against the backdrop of founder Sir James Dyson’s vocal criticism of UK economic policies – particularly Labour’s recent tax proposals and rising National Insurance costs. In a letter to The Telegraph, he wrote: “Why would anyone set up a company in the UK? Labour’s blow to business, and the destruction of British family-owned businesses in particular, is a scandalous act of self-harm.
Although the company stresses that closing the site in Bristol is a business decision and not a political statement, it underscores the ongoing consolidation strategy in Dyson’s global operations. Dyson, now headquartered in Singapore, seems intent on focusing its core innovation activities where it all began: at its historic Malmesbury campus in the Wiltshire countryside.