The BT British Invention Index Executive summary The older people get the less likely they are consider themselves inventive. People believe Britain is less inventive now than it was in the past. Women are less likely than men to say they are inventive people. Many schoolchildren feel that their inventive spirit is not encouraged. So what does the future look like for uniquely British invention in today’s ultra-­‐
globalised world? Where will the next Tim Berners-­‐Lee emerge from? British invention has an illustrious history. Things like the postage stamp and the World Wide Web have shaped the modern world. Alexander Graham Bell, John Logie Baird and James Dyson are familiar names to most of us. But British invention is not just part of our past. The overwhelming majority of Britons believe that an inventive spirit is vital for the challenges the country will face. However, this report reveals a crisis of confidence in our nation’s inventive future. What do we mean when we talk about inventions and inventors? We share an old-­‐fashioned stereotype of the typical inventor as male, a dedicated genius, working in science or engineering. That isn’t helpful in the modern world. In fact, it may positively discourage some people from thinking of themselves as inventors or even labelling themselves inventive. We’re seeing changes in technology – mass customisation, increased connectivity and 3D printing – that make invention accessible to more of us than ever. But parents, teachers, governments and businesses must take steps today to foster ingenuity in the next generation. We must reinvent invention for the twenty-­‐first century so the inventors of the future, who we’ve dubbed ‘Generation I’, can flourish. Britain's great inventors Alexander Graham Bell, James Dyson and John Logie Baird are the three British inventors most named by adults in our wide-­‐ranging survey of more than 2,000 adults and 1,000 teenagers from across the UK. James Dyson is famous for his bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and other machines. The other inventors were Scotsmen, born in Victorian Britain, who lived into the twentieth century. Bell, who invented the telephone, and Baird, the inventor of television, are familiar figures to anyone who went to school in the latter decades of the last century. Will their names come less readily to the minds of future generations as their inventions become less central to our lives? Perhaps, but it’s important that the qualities that make a great inventor are nurtured in each new generation. Our research suggests that we are less likely to think of ourselves as inventive people as we age. More than half of 12 year-­‐olds (54%) consider themselves ‘inventive’ but that falls to 32% of 16 year-­‐olds – just above the adult average of 31%. That’s a significant change over the course of a secondary school career. It might be unsurprising because many of us are familiar with feeling less inventive now than we did as children. But why should we accept this as a normal result of growing older? % of children who consider themselves inven:ve, by age 60% 54% 48% 50% 51% 42% 40% 32% 30% 20% 10% 0% 12 13 14 15 16 Age (in years) We need to address this issue because inventors are as important to Britain as they have ever been. There are critical social, economic and environmental problems that require inventive thinking. “Children are very imaginative and inventive aged twelve, at the same time as they face a tricky period of development. It’s important for parents, teachers and society at large to inspire and maintain the interest of young children, empowering them to grow into the next generation of inventors. We must create environments that drive the ‘inventive spark’ forward in 12-­‐15 year-­‐olds, so that they thrive and develop into adults that will play an integral role in shaping the future of British invention.” Pam Popay, Head of Education Engagement Strategy at BT Other notable British inventors are BT’s own Tommy Flowers (inventor of Colossus, the first programmable electric computer), Rowland Hill (the postage stamp), Joseph Fry & Sons (the chocolate bar) and Sir Tim Berners-­‐Lee (the World Wide Web). They show that we Britons have been punching above our weight as inventors for hundreds of years and still do to this day. However, many of us have a sense that the golden age of British invention was the Victorian era, as demonstrated by the names people are most likely to give when asked to think of an inventor. That is perhaps why almost half of British adults (44%) believe that the country has become less inventive over time. "The UK has become less inven:ve as a na:on over :me." Neither agree nor disgaree 41% Agree 44% Disagree 15% What is an invention? The inventors named by respondents also reveal that what constitutes an invention can be broad. For example, many respondents named Isambard Kingdom Brunel as an inventor. Brunel was an engineer who achieved remarkable things, many of which had never been done before, but do his projects count as inventions? According to Wikipedia, an invention is "a unique or novel device, method, composition or process." The Chambers dictionary offers the more general "a contrivance." Brunel might just squeeze into the first definition, but he breezes through the latter. His Thames Tunnel, the first tunnel successfully constructed underneath a navigable river, is certainly a contrivance and perhaps qualifies as a novel method too. The reimagining of invention for today’s world means a greater focus on ingenuity and inventive thinking. Not all inventions are technological, scientific or engineering breakthroughs. There are social inventions, such as Parliamentary democracy or the welfare state, and cultural forms that could be seen as inventions, such as newspapers or documentary films. One child pointed out to researchers that author J.K. Rowling "created Harry Potter, but she didn't invent books," which is, of course, true. But would we count jazz as an invention, or techno? Are clothes designers inventors? Are chefs? Some children, for example, saw Heston Blumenthal as an inventor, though clearly he did not invent cooking, or even the 'molecular gastronomy' with which he has become associated. "Invention in its broadest sense is about finding and discovery. An invention is any creation which has value in its use; the process of inventing is creative and not always conscious. Solarbox has invented a new product which solves the everyday problem of poor battery life on modern phones, and it does so in a way that reclaims public space and promotes a greener London. I hope that our invention will encourage and inspire other young people to invent solutions to the problems that they see around them." Kirsty Kenny, co-­‐founder of solarbox, a company that turns disused phone boxes in London into solar-­‐powered charging stations for mobile phones Finally, it is worth remembering that not all our contrivances need to be world-­‐changing. Many people, in Britain and elsewhere, would be bereft without chocolate bars or cricket, but neither invention was crucial to human progress. Some inventions just make our lives more enjoyable. What is an inventor? An inventor is a scientist or engineer (64%) and a man (37%), according to adults in our study. Amongst children, the idea of the male (37 per cent) scientist or engineer (58 per cent) also dominates. Only 7% of adults think of an inventor as a woman. When thinking of an inventor, what pops into your head first? 70% 64% 60% 50% 40% 37% 30% 21% 20% 12% 10% 7% 11% 7% 2% 0% A man A woman An older A scientist Someone Someone Someone Other person or who who who engineer works dresses in works in a alone a white lab, coat workshop or shed The association of men with invention is strong in our culture. This is demonstrated by the British inventors people named. Only two women appear in the list: Ada Lovelace (the first computer programmer) and Marie Curie (who discovered radioactive elements, but was not British). And these great inventive thinkers were named by only a handful of adults and children, compared with the hundreds who named Alexander Graham Bell. The stereotype of an inventor as a man is perpetuated in popular culture by characters like Iron Man's Tony Stark, James Bond's Q, or Back to the Future's Doc Brown (or even Wallace from Wallace and Gromit). This stereotype no doubt has a part to play in why women are more likely than men to say that they aren't inventive – 69%, compared with 58% – and girls are more likely than boys to say the same (49% compared with 42%, respectively). Do you consider yourself an inven:ve person? 100% 90% 80% 27% 49% 44% 37% 70% 60% Yes 40% 50% 40% No, nor do I want to be 41% 30% No but I would like to be 38% Don't know 30% 20% 12% 18% 9% 7% 4% 4% Boys Girls Men Women 10% 0% 29% 11% In the Bond films, Q is a classic British figure: polite, quiet and slightly bumbling. However, though the recent Bond films have made 007 himself into a tougher action hero, the new incarnation of Q is still a short-­‐sighted, cardigan-­‐clad geek who fights hackers from his laptop. This perception of geekiness could help explain why just 36% of boys and 24% of girls think of inventors as cool. “Traditionally inventors were seen as eccentrics with unimaginable ideas. Nowadays, although there are still stereotypes, particularly towards women, people tend to be more open to new ways of thinking. In my experience I have overcome a number of challenges; the most difficult was educating people on the benefits of my invention and how much of an impact this could have on mankind. Perseverance and courage were my main virtues in overcoming adversity. Today’s inventors must be headstrong and open-­‐minded. There are lots of young people with mind-­‐
blowing ideas, but there isn’t always a platform for these ideas to be acknowledged. This generation is not short of ideas – we just need to create more possibilities to share them. The government needs to provide financial backing and support for inventions that have strong potential to address some of society’s big problems.” Amber McCleary, young inventor and founder of Copper Clothing, a company which applies the anti-­‐microbial properties of copper to clothing as a means of infection control. Isn’t it time we re-­‐invented invention? There is a difference between being an 'inventor' and being 'inventive'. The former is a career that most people will not be able to have. However, that doesn't mean that we can't all be inventive in our jobs, at school or in some other part of our lives. Inventors are those, according to one of the children interviewed, who "think outside the box – think about something that isn't in our life today." That could be something world-­‐shaking, but it could also be something small that makes a positive difference to a few people. Invention is often seen as a serious business. For adults, the top five character traits of an inventor were creative (70%), problem-­‐solver (69%), determined (64%), curious (62%) and resourceful (61%). One of the traits offered to respondents was ‘playful’ but this was the least popular, chosen by just 8%. What are the most important traits of successful inventors? Creative Problem-­‐solver Determined Curious Resourceful Hard-­‐working Open-­‐minded Ingenious Intuitive Self-­‐conZident Optimistic Collaborative Playful Don't know Other 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% And yet playfulness is considered an important part of creativity. Alexander Fleming, another Scotsman born in Victorian Britain, once said, "I play with microbes," when describing his work. (Penicillin, however, is considered a discovery rather than an invention.) John Cleese, the comedian and actor who, coincidentally, played Q in a Bond film, recommended to employers that: "If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play." One of the key creative spaces within The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is the Lifelong Kindergarten, where students of all ages (and even those in full time employment) continue to learn through a process of designing, creating, experimenting and exploring. The fact that we have less time for play the older we get may be a reason why we feel less inventive as we age. We should also challenge the notion that inventors strictly work alone. Even famous ‘lone’ inventors are often working with teams and building on concepts invented by others. For example, Sir Clive Sinclair, who was a major figure in consumer electronics in the 1970s and 1980s, created his earliest products by himself. But the likes of the ZX Spectrum, one of the first mainstream home computers, owe more to the work of Sinclair's engineers and designers. As Alexander Graham Bell put it: "Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail, but when I look at the subsequent developments, I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself." The rise of collaboration and customisation The internet and World Wide Web have made it possible to gather information from a wide range of sources quicker than ever. These technologies bring us together, allowing people to share ideas and collaborate. Children are often best at exploiting this technology because they have grown up with it and are 'digital natives.' One child explained to researchers that "my mum's always asking me to help her out on Facebook or load pictures." Breakthroughs in production and prototyping technology, such as 3D printing, make it more economical than ever to develop and test new products cheaply. The rise of crowdsourcing – in which large groups of people, often spread all over the world, collaborate on projects – has led to innovations such as Linux, the operating system that is used in computers worldwide. "The invention of the internet has played a major role in increasing the speed of the inventive process today. Instead of people sitting alone in an office, studio or in their garden shed, they can now collaborate, sharing ideas and skills with anyone in the world. Technology is an enabler of magic. Inventors should view it as a valuable tool in their arsenal that is always improving and expanding in new directions.” Dominic Wilcox, designer and inventor of the world’s first self-­‐navigating shoes and glass driverless sleeper car In the future consumer brands may play a role in nudging us towards more inventive behaviour. The trend towards mass customisation, driven in part by cheaper manufacturing and prototyping processes, means that we will become used to products that are modified for our needs or designed entirely to our specifications. Most people will be familiar with Dell, for example, which experienced a massive boom from the mid-­‐1990s by selling computers online and allowing consumers to customise components. Nowadays people buy new cars in the same way, specifying a set of add-­‐ons and often choosing the colour and the material they are made from. Levis' buyers can customise jeans and Nike customers can get training shoes made to their specifications. Through the recent rise of crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter, we have begun to provide financial backing for products that we would like to buy. There are usually options for customising these products too. This is still more like choosing from a menu than being an inventor, but it may change how we think about the things we own. Why should products be 'one size fits all'? Why shouldn't we adapt them so that they better fit our needs? This is the idea behind a product like Sugru – invented by a student at the Royal College of Art in London – which is a mouldable kind of silicone rubber that can be used to, in the words of its inventor, "fix, modify or make almost anything." Meanwhile, websites such as Thingiverse host thousands of designs for objects that can be downloaded and 'printed' by anyone with a 3D printer. Future inventors might not need to manufacture their ideas at all – they could simply upload them. “Invention isn’t something we do ‘over there’ separate and apart from ourselves. We all need to connect with our inner child and embody invention, be inventive. It is about not just looking, but seeing with the unbounded enthusiasm, curiosity, and fascination of a child. There is no separation between the processes of invention and the self. Inventions are creations in the mind that come before innovation and are often accidental or serendipitous. It is about a way of thinking. The remarkable digital and collaborative technologies available to the next generation of British inventors is a catalyst for invention through crowdsourcing, remixing, and stimulating the inventive spark that lights the fertile kindling of our collective imagination. We have never been in a better position to learn from each other and invent for the future.” Dr. Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation, Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London As technology changes we continue to be dazzled by the possibilities it creates when it comes to invention. Networks like BT’s deliver the world live to people, helping and encouraging moments of genius to happen. As we communicate better and faster, more new connections are made, new ideas sparked, new inventions created. The possibilities are infinite when we look at invention as a collaborative initiative enabled by technology. The genius problem When considering the problematic stereotype of inventors, there's the notion of ‘genius.’ This term was associated with inventors by 65% of adults. Almost two-­‐thirds of children (64 per cent) and nearly half of adults (49 per cent) agree that the most important inventions are made by great scientists, engineers or geniuses. We think of inventors as geniuses because they have usually solved a problem that nobody else could solve. Sometimes they have solved a problem that nobody else even realised was a problem. There are reasons why defining an inventor as a genius is unhelpful. First, most of us do not think of ourselves as geniuses. Therefore, by definition, we are likely to think that we cannot be inventors. Second, it overlooks the fact that inventors often work in teams or build on work done by others. Third, the implication is that inventions spring from a brainwave – the proverbial 'stroke of genius.' This diminishes the hard work and determination that goes into creating a novel solution to a problem. More than two-­‐thirds of adults (68%) agree that invention and inventive thinking should become more mainstream and accessible to all. There are many significant problems that we need to tackle urgently, such as the increasing scarcity of water, the rise of antibiotic-­‐
resistant bacteria or the growing crisis of dementia. All of these will require a new generation of creative thinkers. What is the best way to ensure that this happens? "Inven:on and inven:ve thinking needs to become more mainstream and accessible to everybody." Disagree 5% Nether agree nor disagree 27% Agree 68% Encouraging inventive thinking Obviously, school plays a major role. When asked what would encourage them to be more inventive or even to become an inventor, the most popular answer was more focus on it in schools (37%). Almost half of children surveyed (45%) said that they feel most inventive at school. However, 42% of children agree that their school does not do enough to encourage inventive thinking. "My school doesn't do enough to encourage inven:ve thinking in pupils." Disagree 22% Agree 42% Neither agree nor disagree 36% A fifth of girls (21%) said that making it more socially acceptable for them to do STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) would encourage them to be more inventive. Educators have been trying to tackle this problem for some time. Britain would benefit from overcoming this hurdle: girls would be more inclined to think of themselves as inventors or inventive thinkers. Over two-­‐thirds (68%) of adults think that creativity and inventive thinking should be part of the national curriculum. Recent changes to how computing is taught within schools is a step in the right direction. The national curriculum says that: "Computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world." We have been supporting this in a number of ways, such as Barefoot Computing, a 16-­‐
month national programme to develop and disseminate resources and workshops to help teachers in delivering the new computer science curriculum. It is led by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT and the National Teaching Computing MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), led by the University of East Anglia. We've also worked with volunteers to deliver a portfolio of school engagement activities, using technology such as the Bee-­‐Bot robot and the Raspberry Pi computer. However, there is also scope for creative thinking to be emphasised and encouraged across a range of subjects, including design technology, art, English and so on. "I stayed behind after school for two hours each day to finish my project because there are things there that you need to use and don't have at home.” BT qualitative interviews of children aged 12-­‐17 years old Outside school, too, children could be encouraged to follow an inventive spirit. Two out of five (43%) adults think that today's children are less inventive than previous generations. Of this group, the overwhelming majority (86%) think that the reason is too much time spent using technology, such as social media and smartphones. Adults also think that children should play outside more (67%) and have more unstructured play time (42%) if they are to foster their creativity. "I think I'd be more inventive if I had more things, more equipment to play around with, see what I can make, see what happens if I put them together.” BT qualitative interviews of children aged 12-­‐17 years old Key reasons for children today being less inven:ve than children of previous genera:ons They spend too much time using technology; e.g. watching TV, using social 86% They don't play outside enough 67% Schools focus too much on tests and exams and not enough on fostering creativity 56% They are too protected by parents and aren't allowed to take risks 55% They spend too much time doing set tasks / don't have enough unstructured playtime Other Don't know 42% 3% 1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% This suggests that the problem may be that parents often focus on their own childhood experiences when thinking of ways to encourage children to be inventive. This leads them to think technology is a distraction rather than an integral new tool of creativity. Parents also lack confidence in their ability to help their children to reach their goals. Almost half of all parents surveyed (49%) said they needed more information or tools to help their children to be more inventive. Only 21% said that they had everything they needed. One type of play is not intrinsically better than another – everything depends on the content of the activity. A child who spends time outside building a fort might well be inspired to want to be an inventor but so might a child who spends hours constructing a castle in Minecraft on their smartphone. A child who spends unstructured time building Lego might develop creative skills but one who spends time on social media could be developing useful collaboration skills. "I like playing on my iPad. You can create new worlds, people and play with your friends in groups. You get to build stuff and do anything you want, really.” BT qualitative interviews with children aged 12-­‐17 years old Although adults are most likely to say that the time in their life when they felt most inventive was at school (38%), there is still a significant proportion (36%) who say they felt most inventive at the start or in the middle of their career. There is clearly an opportunity here for employers to nurture creativity and inventiveness in their staff, perhaps, as John Cleese suggested, by allowing time for play. At what stage of your life do you believe you were, or you are, most inven:ve? A baby 2% At nursery 2% At primary school 18% At secondary school or college 20% At tertiary education 6% Starting out in your career 16% In the middle of your career At the end of your career 20% 5% In retirement 6% Other 0% 5% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Adult creativity can be nurtured outside of work. Many crowdsourced projects make use of people's spare time, for example. There is scope for social groups, charities and government to play a role in fostering ingenuity and encouraging Britons to use their spare time creatively. Conclusion It stands to reason that, as we get older and most of us realise we do not fit the stereotype of the male, genius scientist or engineer, we are less likely to see ourselves as ‘inventors’. We need to inspire children about the great British inventors of the past and at the same time challenge the entrenched stereotypes around their role, status and even gender. Children are our most natural invention champions. When it comes to inventions, they make up the most confident bit of British society. We should harness this early enthusiasm and show them that ingenuity isn’t just for scientists in lab coats. To do this, schools shouldn’t merely allow creativity but nurture it, helping create skills that benefit children throughout their lives. After all, parents and students are asking for creativity and inventive thinking to be part of the national curriculum. But there are also initiatives for businesses, parents and teachers to work together on to create new ways to help children flex their inventive muscles. A great example of this in practice is the STEAM Co. (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Maths) initiative, set up by parent Nick Corston in the hope of rolling it out to primary schools across the nation. Its aim is to bring these subjects to life so children learn to think – and ‘do’ – creatively and inventively. Projects to date have included animation, wire sculpture, clay modelling, computer coding and paper engineering. They have also built an eco-­‐car, which will be raced at Goodwood. It’s also down to businesses to get a move on and invest in upskilling Generation I. They too will benefit from the ideas of Britain’s next generation of inventors. That’s one reason why we’ve launched the first ever National Inventors Day on 2 December. It’s a moment of deserved appreciation for British inventors for yesterday’s successes and today’s ingenuity. It’s a day to inspire tomorrow’s Generation I inventors, and a chance to create possibilities for parents, teachers, industry leaders and governments to nourish and sustain inventive thinking in the next generation. “As a company with a long history of innovation, BT wants to celebrate inventors past and present – and help bring invention home. That’s why we’ve launched the very first National Inventors Day – and our new report – to raise awareness of the contribution that great British inventors continue to make to society, and to inspire the next generation of inventive thinkers.” Tim Whitley, Managing Director, Research and Innovation at BT On top of launching National Inventors Day, BT is also lead principal sponsor of the Science Museum’s Information Age gallery, which celebrates more than 200 years of innovation in communication and information technologies. And we remain committed to supporting schools and the wider community in this important role of inspiring the next generation of inventors. For example, we deliver a range of school activities using technology, such as Bee-­‐Bot robots and Raspberry Pi computers, to offer practical ways to encourage creative thinking and invention in the classroom. In Ireland, we have supported the BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition for 14 years, helping to nurture the talent of hundreds of future scientists and engineers. In industry, we are committed to recruiting female network and service engineers, as part of our commitment to fibre broadband roll out. The future will throw us ever more complex challenges. It’s only by developing a deep well of inventive thinkers that we’ll think big enough, be bold enough and invent ingeniously enough to solve those problems. Yes, the weight of this burden falls on Generation I – but we must support them. Research methodology The study’s quantitative research was conducted by independent market researchers, Atomik Research, on a sample of 2,019 men and women, aged 18 to 65+ years old, and 1,002 boys and girls, aged 12 to 16 years old, living in the UK. Field work was undertaken between 14 and 17 October 2014. The research was carried out via an online survey. The study also involved qualitative research of a sample of 10 boys and girls, aged 12 to 17 years old, who live in or around London. Field work was undertaken between 23 and 27 October 2014. The research was carried out via extensive paired in-­‐depth interviews. ENDS