Editor’s comment for January 2019

It’s fantastic news that the Bloodhound project has found a new investor.

I don’t know much about Ian Warhurst, the Yorkshire-based entrepreneur who has stepped in to provide the funding to keep the dream alive – but I do know he’s a mechanical engineer by trade, has a strong background in managing successful businesses in the automotive engineering sector, and is a Bloodhound enthusiast. Good enough for me.

The man himself commented: "I have been overwhelmed by the level of interest and messages of goodwill following the news that I have bought Bloodhound. It’s clear how much this unique British project means to people, all around the world. My family and I have been supporters too for many years and I am delighted to have been able to safeguard the business and assets.”

Of course the main thrust behind Bloodhound – other than the Eurojet EJ200 jet engine, as used in the Typhoon aircraft, and a hybrid rocket motor of course – has always been to inspire kids to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing.

Since the project began back in 2008, the skills crisis has hit just about everybody who is involved in industry at some point or another. It’s an inevitable fact that neglect from successive governments coupled with the rise of low-cost manufacturing companies around the world has had a cataclysmic effect on our industry.

By his own admission, this has affected Mr Warhurst directly with his own businesses. He’s felt the pain personally, so he, as much as anyone else knows how vitally important projects like Bloodhound are. He’ll be revealing his plans for the project in the new year.

We really shouldn’t underestimate the great work the project has achieved. Bloodhound SSC Education Ltd, the arm of the project whose job is to inspire tomorrow’s engineers is a registered charity. Its STEM education campaign has reached more than £2 million children so far, including 120,000 schoolchildren in the UK each year, not to mention the countless numbers of teachers and parents along the way.

The bit that really saddened me when I heard the project had gone into administration was the gut wrenching irony of it all. How did we ever get to the point where one of the UK’s flagship engineering projects – initially set-up to inspire the next generation of engineers and fight back against the massive shortage of skills that afflicts us all – actually managed to fail?

Fortunately, Ian Warhurst stepped in – and I’m really pleased he did. I’m doubly pleased that it was a passion-fuelled decision made for all the right reasons. Top man.

Dave Tudor Editorial Director