techUK webinar: Positioning the UK for Success: How the CEO of ARIA can drive forward innovation for the tech sector

Bringing leading figures from industry together, techUK discusses how the Government’s ARIA can be an asset for innovation in the tech sector.

On 17 June, techUK’s Policy and Tech & Innovation team brought together innovators and industry leaders from across the technology sector to explore what the tech sector believes ARIA needs to get right to achieve the ambitious, research and technology goals set by the UK Government.

We were joined by an excellent panel including:

  • Andy Nicholson, Director of Technical and Innovation, Thales
  • Jonathan Keighley, Director, Customer Process Experiences, Dassault Systèmes
  • Pete Stirling, CEO/Founder, STL Tech
  • Sue Daley, Director, tech and Innovation, techUK

 

 

What is ARIA and why is this important?

In March 2021 the Government announced the creation of the Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA). ARIA will be a new independent research body that aims to fund transformational scientific research in the UK with a focus on high-risk, high-reward projects. 

Headed by leading scientists and innovators, ARIA will backed by an £800 million investment from the UK Government and will be given the flexibility and independence from Government to use their knowledge and expertise to identify and back ambitious, research and technology challenges. Able to partner with businesses and academia the agency could have a transformative impact on the UK’s innovation landscape. 

ARIA’s CEO will be central to the agencies initial projects and will become a major player in the UK’s discussion on technology and innovation when appointed.  You can read more about the agency here.

During our discussion techUK focused on what ARIA and its new CEO will need to get right to ensure it can position the UK for Success and drive forward innovation for the tech sector.

 

ARIA needs a clear focus 

The panel agreed that ARIA would need to select a few key missions to focus on to be a success. This was largely due to the £800 million funding pot the agency has been granted ahead of 2024 which is not sufficient to effectively back a large portfolio of projects, meaning the CEO will need to carefully choose a small number of key projects. Jonathan Keighley also highlighted that in his experience getting these kinds of projects off the ground will mean the agency will need a more efficient approach to approving projects so that the period from bid to grant can be shortened from months to weeks. However, in doing so the agency must be careful to ensure its processes are well scrutinised and transparent so that trust in ARIA can be maintained.

 

The difference between invention and innovation 

Andy Nicholson pointed out the difference between invention and innovation. While ARIA is defined as an invention agency its policy scope focuses on innovation. Andy said that in his view the two were subtly but significantly different with invention about driving funding toward creating new ideas while innovation was about using ideas to create more prosperity. He believed ARIA should focus on the later as the UK tends to do invention well but is weak on innovation. He said that the CEO should have a clear view whether the agencies approach should be invention or innovation.

 

ARIA and intellectual property 

The panel took a strong view that a major risk to ARIA’s success was the creation of intellectual property (IP) that ended up never being used. Panellists said they had experience of where contestations over IP had prevented value from being delivered from innovation. As a result, there was a shared view that the IP generated from ARIA should be public and available for UK companies and research institutes to use to generate value rather than sitting on a shelf or becoming the subject of legal wrangling.

 

Who should the CEO of ARIA be 

Pete Stirling gave his view that the CEO of ARIA should not just be an academic but should have experience in growing a company or successfully commercialising research using the UK’s existing research support system. The other panellists said that the attitude and aptitudes of the leader of a start-up/scale-up company would be suitable as making ARIA a success will require someone who can drive forward difficult, high risk, high reward ventures.

 

What would success look like for ARIA by 2024

ARIA’s funding is currently due to run out in 2024, the panel was therefore asked what does good look like by 2024. There was agreement that ARIA would not by 2024 be able to achieve the major technological revolutions envisaged in its long-term objects by this date, but should seek to show early success and prove the agency’s long-term value. The panel suggested a number of features that would define good by 2024. These included,  creating more opportunities for crowding in funding around ARIA projects, such as through the British Business Bank and venture capital funds, attracting world leading talent to work on ARIA projects, creating some initial spin-outs from ARIA projects to show early success and establishing a strong culture and philosophy around the agency that is seen as successful by its partners and Government.

 

You can watch the full panel discussion above or at this link on YouTube.

 

Neil Ross

Neil Ross

Associate Director, Policy, techUK

As Associate Director for Policy Neil leads on techUK's public policy work in the UK. In this role he regularly engages with UK and Devolved Government Ministers, senior civil servants and members of the UK’s Parliaments aiming to make the UK the best place to start, scale and develop a tech business.

Neil joined techUK in 2019 to lead on techUK’s input into the UK-EU Brexit trade deal negotiations and economic policy. Alongside his role leading techUK's public policy work Neil also acts as a spokesperson for techUK often appearing in the media and providing evidence to a range of Parliamentary committees.

In 2023 Neil was listed by the Politico newspaper as one of the '20 people who matter in UK tech' and has regularly been cited as a key industry figure shaping UK tech policy. 

Email:
[email protected]
Twitter:
@neil13r
Website:
www.techuk.org/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/neilross13/

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Sue Daley

Sue Daley

Director, Technology and Innovation

Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.

This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy. She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame. A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK Sue is co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.

Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
020 7331 2055
Twitter:
@ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue

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