Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what his role will be in setting the direction and missions of the Advance Research and Invention Agency.

ARIA will fund research in new ways across areas, industries, or technologies. ARIA will not have its research focus set by Ministers. Following an open and robust recruitment process, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State will appoint an exceptional and visionary leadership team and entrust them to set the research agenda for ARIA.

While ARIA will not be given an overarching ‘mission’ by Government, ARIA’s programmes will each be motivated by a single, clear ambition set by the programme manager. Research projects and funding decisions will all be motivated by that clear programme goal.