It's the UK's best-selling single board computer (SBC), with a wide range of uses from education to AI. The Raspberry Pi has made its way across the global industrial and commercial ecosystems, and you can find the Pi being used in everything from robotics through to the International Space Station and beyond due to their lightweight interchangable modulare technology.
Created in 2008, the aim of the Raspberry Pi was to make computer science and coding more accessible and affordable. Its growth in popularity was thanks to the simple design, low-cost and versatile nature of the devices. Initiatives such as the Raspberry Pi Foundation have secured the SBC as the go-to educational tool for coding, electronics and AI. As well as being used for education, they proved to be a huge hit amongst enthusiasts and hobbyists alike.
The units were originally manufactured in China, but within month of launch the production was moved to Wales, through a partnership with the Sony UK Technology Centre. This partnership began in 2012, and to date has produced over 60 million Raspberry Pi units benefiting from the skills base and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that is available at Sony Pencoed. In fact, it is one of the most successful contract manufacturing partnerships for the European Sony site, which is based at Pencoed in South Wales.
Dr Eben Upton CBE, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Raspberry PiWales is a fantastic venue for innovation, which is why we moved the bulk of the production of Raspberry Pi here within six months of launch. We have a proud tradition of industry and manufacturing in Wales.
The Sony UK Technology Centre has been based in Wales for 50 years and is known as a manufacturing centre of excellence. It's also the home of a business hub of like-minded small and medium size businesses, like Raspberry Pi. These businesses benefit from Sony's manufacturing capabilities, which have grown over time to match the sophistication of the products being produced there.
Wales has had a long and close relationship with Japan since the first investments in Wales by Japanese companies in the 1970s. The enduring partnership between Sony UK TEC and Raspberry Pi highlights the power of collaboration, with a dynamic environment of problem-solving, technological growth, and shared innovation that continues to flourish.
