Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Remarks visiting Cambridge Science Park

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Cambridge
Source: Cambridge Evening News, 7 July 1979
Journalist: Naunton Pugh, Cambridge Evening News, reporting
Editorial comments: Between 1030 and lunch. Reproduced by kind permission of The Cambridge Evening News.
Importance ranking: Minor
Word count: 767
Themes: Industry, Science & technology

City a scientific gold mine, says premier

Cambridge is a scientific and industrial gold mine—and that's why Britain's scientist Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, visited the city.

“It's no use politicians siting on their backsides in London, just reading bits of paper.

“You've got to get out to see what is going on, and that is just why I have come today,” she told the “News” in an exclusive discussion at the end of a visit to HH Electronic at Bar Hill and Laser-Scan at Cambridge Science Park.

“Cambridge is a gold mine.

“It is a place where the brains and talents of those in the university can be harnessed and developed by industry, so that new products can be made and new jobs created.

“There is a wonderful interface between the academic side and the business side, and Cambridge is one of the prime areas in Britain where we are able to see this happening,” she said.

Timetable

As Britain's first Prime Minister with a science degree, Mrs Thatcher was able to talk the language of those who were telling her of their work and explaining their products.

And the fact that she long verstayed her timetable at both factories proved her been interest in what she saw.

Mrs Thatcher described HH Electronic as “a wonderful success story” that ought to be repeated more often.

The company began 10 years ago with £200 capital, now employs more than 300 People and has a sales target of £6.5 million this year—with a further expansion of its Bar Hill factory providing possibly a further 100 jobs within 18 months, said the founder and managing director, Mr Mike Harrison.

The firm makes a range of audio electronic sound equipment used in television, radio, the theatre, recording studios and by professional musicians.

The company is particularly strong in the use of new technology, the sort of silicon chip microprocessor technology which Mrs Thatcher has said many times will be one of the lifelines of British industry.

It exports almost three-quarters of its turnover, to 52 countries—and Mrs Thatcher was more than impressed when she saw two lots of HH equipment which are on the point of being shipped to Japanese customers.

Salesmanship

“Now that's what I like to see,” she told the employees.

“It's the modern version of taking coals to Newcastle, but my goodness its the sort of salesmanship we need in this country.”

She tried out HH microphones and speakers by talking to everyone through them.

She pronounced the sound produced as “extremely good, very natural” and said that HH was clearly a success story based on high quality ideals and also a strong cosmopolitan attitude and team spirit among everyone who worked there.

At Laser-Scan, which has grown from sales of £165,000 six years ago to a target of £1 million this year, all on 55 employees, she saw techniques the firm has developed to digitise maps using laser beams and computers.

They are already in use by cartographers in civilian and military roles, and Mrs Thatcher saw how one Laser-Scan machine can produce three-dimensional images of a given area of land, and show the topography from a variety of angles.

Another machine drew a map, using the computer's memory bank, in 48 seconds and even had such detail as garden sheds included.

She was well pleased when the technical director, Mr Peter Woodsford, said one system used within Laser-Scan was called Maggie for short. “So it should be, if it's a scientific system,” she said.

‘Maggie’

“But I have to tell you that it is a dump file,” said Mr Woodsford. “Oh no, you can't do that to me—you'd better find another name for it,” she quipped.

At the end of the visits, Mrs Thatcher was asked by the “News” just what specific benefit there had been for a scientist Prime Minister—had she really gained anything from them, other than just interests sake?

“Oh yes—it's no use politicians sitting on their backsides in London, just reading bits of paper,” she said.

“You don't learn what you need to know by doing that. You've got to get out to see what is going on, and that is just why I have come today.”

Seam

She specially asked to see the work of the two companies because she knew they had grown from small beginnings, had created new products and given people new and interesting jobs.

“In Cambridge, you are on the outside of a seam in a coal mine, if I can put it like that,” she said.

“That is to say that there is a wealth of talent inside and outside the university, and they can work so closely together to turn the ideas into products and the products into sales.