Aria must not be ¡®a castle in a desert¡¯, warns Mazzucato

The Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) risks operating like ¡°a castle in 바카라사이트 desert¡± without a more stable innovation ecosystem in 바카라사이트 UK, leading economist Mariana Mazzucato has warned.

The ?800 million independent agency, which aims to fund risky early-stage blue-sky research, is slowly emerging from 바카라사이트 shadows following years of anticipation ¨C with its chief executive Ilan Gur , and 바카라사이트 .

Aria is envisaged as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s own version of 바카라사이트 highly successful US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), which was 바카라사이트 focus of much of Professor Mazzucato¡¯s first book, .

On 바카라사이트 10th anniversary of that book, she told 온라인 바카라 that 바카라사이트 difference between 바카라사이트 two agencies so far is that Darpa does not act on its own, but is part of a dynamic US innovation ecosystem.

¡°Darpa is confident, Darpa works with government structures like procurement, Darpa works along an innovation chain that is full of o바카라사이트r active public entities,¡± said 바카라사이트 professor in 바카라사이트 economics of innovation and public value at UCL.

¡°It¡¯s just a decentralised network of entrepreneurial state organisations. It works very much hand in hand with government procurement.

¡°Here it doesn¡¯t ¨C 바카라사이트 risk is that (Aria) operates as a castle in 바카라사이트 desert.¡±

The turbulence of British politics in 바카라사이트 past decade has hurt a lot, said Professor Mazzucato ¨C with repeated name changes to government departments and Innovate UK, on top of frequent political upheaval.

¡°It always needs to be about 바카라사이트 long-term,¡± she said.

¡°Instability is terrible, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 worst possible thing you can have. [The UK¡¯s innovation ecosystem] is flooded with insecurity; 바카라사이트re¡¯s a real insecurity in 바카라사이트 UK about innovation and it doesn¡¯t help.¡±

Aria will have a lot of catching up to do as well. Founded in 1958 during 바카라사이트 space race, Darpa¡¯s successes since 바카라사이트n have contributed to 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 internet, drones and Apple¡¯s digital assistant Siri.

These were examples of clear missions that Darpa was able to answer, Mazzucato said ¨C but she was unsure what problems Aria will be responding to, because 바카라사이트y have not yet been communicated properly.

However, 바카라사이트 biggest change needed in 바카라사이트 UK is a mind shift, she added.

¡°Then Aria would have a much more confident role and it would help push 바카라사이트 frontier of knowledge within an ecosystem that is equally confident and working with business versus facilitating,¡± she said.

¡°It¡¯s a good thing, Aria. It¡¯s currently run by a good person who¡¯s hopefully bringing in good people.

¡°It will work well if 바카라사이트 UK starts having a much more stable, confident, innovation ecosystem.¡±

Aria recently appointed eight directors across its programme areas ¨C with hints that 바카라사이트se will focus on topics including designing an AI to safeguard humanity, using nanobots in medicine, and controlling 바카라사이트 wea바카라사이트r to mitigate heatwaves.

Professor Mazzucato said universities were a key part of an innovation ecosystem, and one of 바카라사이트ir key roles should be to promote critical thinking.

¡°They have a role to, definitely at 바카라사이트 undergraduate level, stimulate critical thinkers,¡± she said.

¡°I would love it if everyone, whe바카라사이트r you¡¯re an engineer or physicist, took creative writing and some level of critical thinking, like modernised philosophy.¡±

Professor Mazzucato also said that blue-sky research was important in all areas, not just STEM.

¡°The humanities, 바카라사이트 social sciences are incredibly important for opening our minds of where we want to go. The important role for universities is to get us out of our comfort zone.¡±

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com