Raspberry Pi to be manufactured in the UK

The Raspberry Pi is to be manufactured in the UK.

The Raspberry Pi is to be manufactured in the UK after a multi-million pound deal between Premier Farnell and Sony UK Technology Centre.

Sony’s site, in Wales, will initially produce over 300,000 units for customers across the world, and the deal is expected to create up to 30 new jobs.
The credit card-sized computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation is aimed at stimulating young people’s interest in computer programming. It was launched in February this year, and had previously only been manufactured in China.
Eben Upton, Co-Founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation 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.”
Sony UKTec would be investing in additional equipment to fulfil order requirements, and providing flexibility and scalability to cater for potential increases in demand, which included additional automated circuit board equipment and double side reflow machinery.  The site would also be extending its manufacturing process capability to include a technique called package-on-package (PoP), which allowed the processor and memory to be stacked on top of each other, reducing the PCB footprint and the distance that high-speed signals need to travel, improving overall reliability.