Premier Farnell agrees UK Raspberry Pi deal

THE Raspberry Pi computer – designed to help young people get into computer programming – will be manufactured in the UK for the first time in a deal between Yorkshire business Premier Farnell and Sony.
 
Sony UK will manufacture 300,000 of the credit-card sized devices at its site in Wales, the first time the gadget has been built outside China.
 
Electronics distributor Premier Farnell has been selling the device since it was launched in February to massive worldwide acclaim.
 
The Raspberry Pi, which sells for around £16, was developed in the UK by experts worried that increasingly expensive and complex computers were becoming a barrier to children taking their first steps into programming.
 
Mike Buffham, global head of electronic design engineering, said: “When it came to reviewing our manufacturing strategy we were always keen to bring the production of the Raspberry Pi to the UK. From the outset Sony UK Technology Centre demonstrated its enthusiasm for the product as well as its expertise in manufacturing. 
 
“Their site is highly impressive and I am very confident that the team in Wales can deliver, providing us with a high-quality product, within our designated timeframe, all within budget.  The Sony brand is known for its quality and to have its broadcast manufacturing site on board and building the Raspberry Pi product, within the UK, is very exciting.
 
“Since the Raspberry Pi was launched globally in February 2012 it has been a tremendous success story. The younger generation have been fascinated in learning how to build and programme their own computer device.  As such we have had huge interest from educational institutions in purchasing the product, innovative design engineers who are using the computer for exciting new applications and also the general public.”
 
The Raspberry Pi computer was developed by a group of experts who formed a charity, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, to launch the device.
 
Co-founder Eben Upton said: “When Pete Lomas and I built the first Raspberry Pi’s for testing last year, we never dreamed it would become so popular so quickly.  The Raspberry Pi was built to develop young people’s skills in computer programming and electronic engineering; we had always intended and hoped that the Raspberry Pi would also be manufactured within the UK.
 
“We’re really delighted that Premier Farnell has been able to find such a reliable manufacturer as the Sony UK Technology Centre.  By bringing the production of a UK product back into the country alongside its development and distribution, we can help support our economy and demonstrate the capabilities the UK has in terms of technological innovation, invention, and manufacturing.
 
“We look forward to continuing our work with Premier Farnell and now, the Sony UK Technology Centre, in the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s next stage of growth.”