Surprised there wasn’t already something like this!
I just assumed every nation has a government funded cutting edge research institute. Crazy not to. Australia has the over 100 year old csiro for example. Paid for itself many times over (eg. viruses that kill rabbits, high tech breakthroughs like wifi, selective crop and livestock breeding).
fidotron · 8m ago
The UK used to have DERA, preceded by the DRA which itself was a merger of other agencies. DERA was part privatized into Qinetiq. Not quite a DARPA or CSIRO equivalent because very much more defence focused, but doing the work more with employees, though with strong relationships with certain universities.
The problem the UK has is it spent so long pretending to be far less sophisticated than it was that now it has become so, to the point their security at air bases is ridiculous https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24nppdx0lo . That is the level of competence that remains in that part of their industry, and consider that in tech you basically go into videogames, finance, or defence. (Or ARM, but there are only so many people there).
Most with very little in the way of measures of success... As will be the case with Aria I imagine.
There were large COVID scandals with funding directed to government ministers mates, how many of these get awarded to their mates too.
hdivider · 1h ago
A step in the right direction.
Wish the UK would have their version of the SBIR/STTR program too -- and open to all, not just Oxbridge and other elites. Mandatory small business set-asides, especially for large defense procurement, has outsized effects on innovation.
I just assumed every nation has a government funded cutting edge research institute. Crazy not to. Australia has the over 100 year old csiro for example. Paid for itself many times over (eg. viruses that kill rabbits, high tech breakthroughs like wifi, selective crop and livestock breeding).
The problem the UK has is it spent so long pretending to be far less sophisticated than it was that now it has become so, to the point their security at air bases is ridiculous https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx24nppdx0lo . That is the level of competence that remains in that part of their industry, and consider that in tech you basically go into videogames, finance, or defence. (Or ARM, but there are only so many people there).
And lots of other grant services and loans.
Most with very little in the way of measures of success... As will be the case with Aria I imagine.
There were large COVID scandals with funding directed to government ministers mates, how many of these get awarded to their mates too.
Wish the UK would have their version of the SBIR/STTR program too -- and open to all, not just Oxbridge and other elites. Mandatory small business set-asides, especially for large defense procurement, has outsized effects on innovation.