The challenges of challenge-led research and innovation agencies

CIIP have produced a briefing note to inform the devleopment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) in the UK and other emerging ARPA-like challenge-led R&I agencies globally. This briefing note captures the key points of a roundtable discussion on 24 February 2021, comprising 21 researchers and policymakers representing eight institutions from Japan, the UK, and the US. The aim of the roundtable was to identify challenges and international best practices in designing and implementing challenge-led research and innovation (R&I) agencies, in order to inform the devleopment of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) in the UK and other emerging ARPA-like challenge-led R&I agencies globally.

Discussions identified key considerations for the development or ARIA including:

• Framing: Missions should be framed generically and without predefined solutions, while challenge goals should be specific.
• People: Aim to hire ‘And’ people, who combine technical and business knowledge, and who bring ideas to the mission from the private sector or academia.
• Coordination: Use the ‘island–bridge model’, where ARIA operates as a bureaucracy-free island but uses bridges to influential external stakeholders and institutions to coordinate and effect change.
• Evaluation: In designing a programme evaluation system, measurement requires patience. Mission outcomes should favour generating subsequent, follow-on investment from industry over initial co-investment.

For full details about the roundtable including the 4 key challenges identified, future directions, and a list of roundtable participants, you can download the briefing paper here:

Briefing Note