The USDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) is often held as a model for driving technology advances.
To create such an agency, the governance and management of European innovation programmes would needdrastic changes.
DARPA has backed projects likeARPANET, the precursor to the internet, and theGPS.
Today, DARPA shows interest in autonomous vehicles for urban areas and new missile technologies.
Many emblematic successes explain why DARPA is a reference agency.
They represent opportunities to learn together and build collective strategies in innovation ecosystems.
However, implementing this model would require a seismic shift in how European agencies operate.
They clearly demonstrate an outcome-focused orientation inconsistent with DARPAs approach to risk.
Two main challenges
European agencies often lack the stable missions, scope and ambition seen at DARPA.
The debates around theEuropean Defence Fundillustrate how complex it is to reach consensus on shared objectives and funding.
Implementing these changes would also disrupt the existing power balance between countries.
The DARPA model would only focus on existing competencies, excellence, risk-taking approaches and entrepreneurial mindsets.
Establishing a European DARPA would require a fundamental rethinking of public policy management in Europe.
Creating an agency is one thing; ensuring it adheres to the structures that make DARPA effective is another.
The question remains: Is Europe ready for this transformation?
The European Academy of Management (EURAM) is a learned society founded in 2001.
