Lifetime Achievement winner: James Dyson

James Dyson was raised in Norfolk and then went to the Byam Shaw School of Art in London, followed by the Royal College of Art where he discovered a passion for industrial design.

His first project was the Sea Truck; a high-speed landing craft. This was followed by the Ballbarrow, a wheelbarrow with a large inflatable ball to replace the usual ground-churning wheel. Then, in 1979, James became frustrated with a top-of-the range vacuum cleaner that quickly lost suction. On taking it apart he found a layer of dust clogging the interior. Later, when he saw a large industrial cyclone removing sawdust at a local sawmill, he decided to design a vacuum cleaner on the same principles and achieved the product he had dreamed of: a powerful bagless vacuum cleaner that does not become clogged.

However, manufacturers weren't interested so, 15 years and 5,000 prototypes later, James launched the DCO1 vacuum cleaner under his own name. Within 18 months it became the best-selling cleaner in the UK. Dyson continues to produce new technology, including the Dyson Digital Motor, which is ten times more efficient than a Boeing 747 engine; the Dyson Airblade hand dryer that uses a high velocity "sheet" of air to dry hands in just ten seconds; and, most recently, the Dyson Air Multiplier, a bladeless fan that "amplifies" airflow 15 times by pulling in surrounding air.

The James Dyson Foundation also provides study resources, holds regular workshops for schools and colleges, and offers bursaries. James believes that engineers - and therefore their training - are the future, not only for economies but also to solve the escalating social and environmental problems of the planet. What better role model for our nation's youth?

Chosen by Homes & Gardens