{"id":463,"date":"2024-10-30T09:43:23","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T10:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.horoscope-conseil.com\/?p=463"},"modified":"2025-03-26T19:13:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T19:13:49","slug":"do-we-need-a-european-darpa-to-cope-with-technological-challenges-in-europe-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.horoscope-conseil.com\/index.php\/2024\/10\/30\/do-we-need-a-european-darpa-to-cope-with-technological-challenges-in-europe-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Do we need a European DARPA to cope with technological challenges in Europe?"},"content":{"rendered":"
The headquarters of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Virginia.<\/span> ajay_suresh\/Flickr<\/a>, CC BY<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency<\/a> (DARPA) is often held as a model for driving technology advances. For decades, it has contributed to military and economic dominance by bridging the gap between military and civilian applications. European policymakers frequently reference DARPA in discussions, as outlined in the 2024 Draghi Report<\/a>, but an EU equivalent has yet to materialise. To create such an agency, the governance and management of European innovation programmes would need drastic changes<\/a>. <\/p>\n

DARPA supports disruptive innovation<\/h2>\n

Founded in 1958, DARPA operates under the US Department of Defense (DoD) with a straightforward mission: to fund high-risk technological programmes that could lead to radical innovation. DARPA provides support throughout the innovation process, focusing on environments where new uses for technology must be invented or adapted. Although part of the DoD, DARPA funds projects that promise technological and economic superiority whether they align with current military priorities or not. DARPA has backed projects like ARPANET<\/a>, the precursor to the internet, and the GPS<\/a>. Today, DARPA shows interest in autonomous vehicles for urban areas and new missile technologies.<\/p>\n

As part of its core mission, DARPA accepts high financial risks on exploration projects and makes long-term commitments to these projects. Many emblematic successes explain why DARPA is a reference agency. However, the list of failed projects is even longer. Both failures and successes feed the exploration process in emerging industrial sectors<\/a>. They represent opportunities to learn together and build collective strategies in innovation ecosystems.<\/p>\n

Five key principles of DARPA<\/h2>\n

DARPA\u2019s success stems not just from its stability but from adhering to five organisational principles<\/a> that allow it<\/a> to explore deep tech in an open innovation context:<\/p>\n