Clean Sweep

Dysons push for better cleaning methods in Southeast Asia is as much about changing mindsets as it is upgrading the power of its motors

- Lawrence Carlos and Denny Mata

On September 4, 2018, Dyson unveiled its most advanced motor technology to date at their Philippines Advanced Manufacturing (PAM) plant in Calamba, Laguna (one of only two production lines in ASEAN, the other being in Singapore, and whose goings on are guarded in utmost secrecy): the all-new Dyson digital motor V10 is almost half the weight of its predecessor, the V8, and a culmination of over a decade’s worth of research and development. All in all, Dyson has been granted 934 patents and patents pending for its motor globally.

Behind the drive for a more efficient and effective approach to household cleaning in the ASEAN region is Kevin Grant, Head of Category of Floor Care at Dyson; BluPrint asked Grant about what attracted him to the Asian market in the first place, while offering insights into their technology-led design process.

What made you move from Malmesbury in the UK to China, and then to Southeast Asia?

Dyson challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and try something totally new. We weren’t established in China at the time, so I worked with a team of Chinese engineers and took an NPI project from an early stage to complete stage. After two years, I moved to Southeast Asia to work with our engineering teams in Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Southeast Asia is an interesting region where I have now been based for over eight years. We have noticed that there are subtle differences in environments and behaviors—some people care a lot about the suction performance of our vacuum cleaners, and others still need convincing to break away from traditional cleaning methods like sweeping, dusting, and mopping. But overall, my impression is that people across Southeast Asia like Dyson machines, because they want technology which solves problems and works better.