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Richard Browning, inventor of the jet suit and founder of Gravity Industries, calls for mandatory business and financial literacy in UK secondary schools to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing economy.
Richard Browning, the British entrepreneur famed for inventing the world’s first jet suit, is advocating for a significant overhaul of the UK’s national school curriculum to address what he sees as a critical failure in preparing young people for the future economy. Browning, whose company Gravity Industries is valued at approximately £82 million and supplies jet suits to special forces, emergency responders, and rescue teams globally, stresses the necessity of embedding business, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy into compulsory education for all secondary school pupils by 2030.
Browning, a former Royal Marines reservist and oil trader, argues that the current curriculum is outdated, having last been fully revised before the rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation. Research indicates that a third of schools still do not offer GCSE Computer Science, and only one in four young adults report receiving any financial education during their schooling. Reflecting on his own experiences, Browning warns that the UK’s risk-averse culture hampers innovation and economic growth. He stresses that innovation should be a fundamental part of education, not a concept reserved for business leaders, citing the stark difference he observes between the UK and more entrepreneurial environments like California, where new ideas are enthusiastically embraced.
Browning’s call to action is deeply personal. His father, an inventor of mountain bike suspension, tragically took his own life when Browning was 15, a loss he attributes partly to the unsupportive environment for entrepreneurs in the UK at the time. This tragedy fuels Browning’s passion to foster a cultural shift that celebrates invention and entrepreneurship rather than viewing it with scepticism. He advocates for a more hands-on, experimental approach to learning, encouraging children to embrace failure as part of innovation—“rip open a Lego box and build a crazy thing that falls apart and then learn and rebuild,” he suggests. Through this, Browning hopes to revive the pride and self-confidence seen in Britain’s historic “Brunel era,” when making and creating were sources of national pride.
Gravity Industries itself represents the cutting edge of innovation, having gained international attention for its jet suit technology which enables human flight using micro gas turbines. Since founding the company in 2017, Browning has conducted over 100 flight demonstrations across 33 countries, with his suit reaching speeds over 85 mph and setting Guinness World Records. The technology, praised by figures such as Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, is already being used in practical applications such as emergency medical response and military operations. Gravity Industries is actively developing future iterations of the jet suit, including electric versions and exploring alternative fuels like bio-diesel.
Browning’s viewpoint aligns with broader concerns about the UK’s ability to maintain economic competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape. Industry data highlights a gap in skills related to technology and entrepreneurship that could hinder the country’s ability to capitalise on emerging opportunities in AI and automation. By making business education mandatory, Browning believes the UK could nurture a new generation of innovators equipped to thrive in complex, fast-changing environments.
His campaign is supported by a petition aimed at influencing the government’s approach ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ upcoming Budget. The petition urges policymakers to reconsider the national curriculum’s focus, aiming to equip students with practical skills and entrepreneurial mindsets essential for future prosperity.
In essence, Browning’s call is both a reflection on personal tragedy and a visionary plea for education reform that embraces the spirit of innovation. By doing so, he hopes to ignite a “Brunel era” of creativity and pride in making things—a transformation he sees as vital to restoring Britain’s economic confidence and leadership in the global innovation landscape.
📌 Reference Map:
- Paragraph 1 – [1] (Mirror), [2] (Mirror)
- Paragraph 2 – [1] (Mirror), [2] (Mirror)
- Paragraph 3 – [1] (Mirror), [2] (Mirror)
- Paragraph 4 – [1] (Mirror), [4] (Wikipedia), [5] (Imagine Solutions Conference), [7] (Evelyn Insights)
- Paragraph 5 – [1] (Mirror), [2] (Mirror), [6] (Wired), [7] (Evelyn Insights)
- Paragraph 6 – [1] (Mirror), [2] (Mirror)
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative appears to be original, with no evidence of prior publication. The article is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the Mirror’s website is currently inaccessible due to a robots.txt restriction, preventing direct verification. The earliest known publication date of the narrative is October 29, 2025. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found.
Quotes check
Score:
9
Notes:
The direct quotes from Richard Browning are unique to this narrative, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Mirror, a reputable UK news outlet. However, the current inaccessibility of their website due to a robots.txt restriction limits direct verification. The Mirror is generally considered a reliable source, but the inability to access the specific article raises some uncertainty.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative align with known information about Richard Browning and Gravity Industries. Browning has previously advocated for educational reforms and has a history of public speaking on innovation and entrepreneurship. The narrative’s tone and language are consistent with typical corporate and official communications. No excessive or off-topic details were noted.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
While the narrative appears to be original and aligns with known information about Richard Browning and Gravity Industries, the current inaccessibility of the Mirror’s website due to a robots.txt restriction limits direct verification. This raises some uncertainty regarding the source’s reliability. Therefore, the overall assessment is ‘OPEN’ with a medium confidence level.
