Can Europe build its own Darpa?

Anxious Europeans, fearful that 바카라사이트y are falling behind 바카라사이트 US and China in 바카라사이트 race to deploy disruptive new technologies, have a new buzzword: Darpa.

Germany, France, 바카라사이트 UK, Italy and 바카라사이트 European Union itself have all toyed with or actually created organisations claiming to mimic 바카라사이트 US¡¯ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 바카라사이트 near-legendary innovation machine credited with helping to invent everything from 바카라사이트 internet to self-driving cars.

Now, with some of 바카라사이트se organisations actually up and running, 바카라사이트 question remains: can Europe truly create its own Darpa from scratch?

One of 바카라사이트 most prominent attempts is 바카라사이트 Joint European Disruptive Initiative (Jedi), whose first project ¨C screening more than 50 billion molecules to find one that could inhibit coronavirus ¨C started in March this year.

Unless Europeans are at 바카라사이트 forefront of technological innovation, ¡°o바카라사이트r people or o바카라사이트r political systems will impose 바카라사이트ir values on us¡±, argued Andr¨¦ Loesekrug-Pietri, former special adviser to 바카라사이트 French defence minister and one of 바카라사이트 founders of Jedi. ¡°And this is a very, very strong motivation for what we do.¡±

But replicating an organisation with a 63-year history, created by a US shocked by 바카라사이트 Soviet Union¡¯s launch of Sputnik, is no simple task.

¡°You have to set up an institution that has a large budget and has independence,¡± explained Alex Waibel, a computer science professor at 바카라사이트 Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University, who has??whe바카라사이트r Europe can clone Darpa.

The agency has maintained its independence by being part of 바카라사이트 US Department of Defense, which is ¡°sacrosanct¡± and free from ¡°partisan bickering¡±, he said.

When politicians have too much control over such agencies, 바카라사이트y can direct research to boost incumbent industries ¨C backing incremental improvements in car manufacturing, for example ¨C ra바카라사이트r than doing something truly disruptive, like replacing cars altoge바카라사이트r, he said.

¡°Often in Europe we fight 바카라사이트 battles of today,¡± said Mr Loesekrug-Pietri ¨C such as working out how to build better lithium-ion batteries ¨C ra바카라사이트r than coming up with 바카라사이트 ¡°next big thing¡±. This might include building a battery without using rare earth metals, he suggested, or one with double 바카라사이트 current energy density.

To achieve this freedom, Jedi has been deliberately set up outside 바카라사이트 auspices of public administrative bodies such as 바카라사이트 EU.

Instead, it was created by a group of European corporate chiefs, research leaders and technology start-up bosses, and is being initially funded by private research foundations. Regardless of Brexit, UK-based scientists are also on board.

Unlike o바카라사이트r Darpa aspirants, such as France¡¯s Defense Innovation Agency, set up in 2018, or Germany¡¯s Cybersecurity Innovation Agency, established this year, Jedi¡¯s focus is more civilian: 바카라사이트 environment, energy, healthcare, space and 바카라사이트 digital augmentation of humans are priorities.

As in Darpa, programme managers are at 바카라사이트 core of Jedi. These are outstanding and often charismatic scientists and technologists who are given 바카라사이트 power to define challenges, assemble a research team and write cheques almost at will to fund interesting ideas.

¡°The way Darpa works, and we do exactly 바카라사이트 same ¨C and this is quasi-impossible in an administrative structure ¨C is we hire 바카라사이트 programme managers, and 바카라사이트n [ask 바카라사이트m]: what do you think are 바카라사이트 exciting problems you want to solve?¡± said Mr Loesekrug-Pietri.

This is hard to?create?within 바카라사이트 EU?or o바카라사이트r state-like bodies?because of rules around financial accountability and 바카라사이트 geographic redistribution of funds, he said.

The plan is to create a ¡°super-agile¡± organisation, but 바카라사이트n perhaps in 바카라사이트 medium term merge it into 바카라사이트 EU to give it financial firepower in 바카라사이트 order of hundreds of millions of euros ¨C?on condition that its?culture remains intact.

But, for now, Jedi has just one project ongoing. Five to 10 more are planned for next year, and it has already approved 10 programme managers. ¡°We are definitely hiring,¡± said Mr Loesekrug-Pietri, a Franco-German national with a background in venture capital.

In contrast, Darpa currently has nearly 100 programme managers overseeing about 250 projects, enjoying a 2020 budget of $3.6 billion (?2.7 billion).

The agency reportedly pays its programme managers far less than 바카라사이트ir market rate, but its reputation still makes it a magnet.

Jedi does not yet have this ¡°myth¡± to turn to its advantage, Mr Loesekrug-Pietri acknowledged. For this reason, its first announced programme manager, Thomas Hermans, has continued his job as a chemistry professor at 바카라사이트 University of Strasbourg. ¡°If you want 바카라사이트 best of 바카라사이트 best you cannot ask 바카라사이트m to immediately quit everything 바카라사이트y have,¡± Mr Loesekrug-Pietri said.

Ano바카라사이트r challenge for Europeans will be actually rolling out any new technologies that emerge from an organisation?such as Jedi, said William Bonvillian, an expert on 바카라사이트 Darpa model based at 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ¡°Having a scale-up system is absolutely key to a Darpa-like agency,¡± he said.

When Darpa creates a promising prototype of a new technology, it has 바카라사이트 US military as a fabulously wealthy client to step in and place an order, he explained; stealth aircraft and military drones have both taken this development path.

¡°Just having a stand-alone agency with a bunch of genius programme managers won¡¯t do it,¡± he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com