The James Dyson Foundation is donating £8 million to Cambridge University to create a new technology hub, providing Cambridge’s engineering students with state-of-the-art engineering laboratories. The donation is the largest gift ever received by Cambridge’s engineering faculty.

James Dyson, founder of The Dyson Company, said: “Academic excellence is essential, but we need Britain’s brightest to turn powerful ideas into useful products.”

The Dyson Engineering Design Centre will open at the university in 2015, and will provide a prototyping hub and workshop space for mechanical, structural and electronic engineers at the Department of Engineering. An open plan design featuring dozens of incubator units will encourage the sharing of ideas and a collaborative research environment.

Eric Doyle, Regional Director – Europe at Aquaterra Energy, said: “James Dyson’s commitment to investing in the future of young engineers is vital step forward for British engineering; his generous donation will help some of the best academics and engineers in the country develop new ideas and foster high levels of innovation.

“Aquaterra Energy has fostered an exceptional relationship with the engineering department at Cambridge University since its Cambridge office opened in 2012.  The James Dyson Building for Engineering will also be open to outreach projects and local schools, helping to bring the world of engineering to even younger minds.