The DARPA Model For Transformative Technologies: Perspectives On The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Description

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has played a remarkable role in the creation new transformative technologies, revolutionizing defense with drones and precision-guided munitions, and transforming civilian life with portable GPS receivers, voice-recognition software, self-driving cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, and, most famously, the ARPANET and its successor, the Internet. Other parts of the U.S. Government and some foreign governments have tried to apply the ‘DARPA model’ to help develop valuable new technologies. But how and why has DARPA succeeded? Which features of its operation and environment contribute to this success? And what lessons does its experience offer for other U.S. agencies and other governments that want to develop and demonstrate their own ‘transformative technologies’? This book is a remarkable collection of leading academic research on DARPA from a wide range of perspectives, combining to chart an important story from the Agency’s founding in the wake of Sputnik, to the current attempts to adapt it to use by other federal agencies. Informative and insightful, this guide is essential reading for political and policy leaders, as well as researchers and students interested in understanding the success of this agency and the lessons it offers to others. Contents......Page 7 Notes on Contributors......Page 13 Acknowledgements......Page 21 1. Introduction: DARPA—The Innovation Icon......Page 23 DARPA’s Evolution......Page 24 DARPA’s Origins: 1958–1970......Page 25 Resuscitation in the 1970s......Page 26 DARPA in the 1980s: Transformative Technology Development and Transition......Page 27 DARPA in the 1990s: End of the Cold War......Page 28 DARPA in the 2000s: War on Terror......Page 29 DARPA in the 2010s: Technology for Security in a Globalized World......Page 30 DARPA’s Organization and Budget......Page 31 Ambitious goals......Page 34 A Challenged-Based R&D Model......Page 35 High-Risk/High-Payoff Projects......Page 36 Independence......Page 38 A Flat, Non-Hierarchical Organization, with Empowered Program Managers......Page 39 Multi-Generational Technology Investments......Page 40 Flexible Hiring and Contracting Authority......Page 41 Creating New Technical Communities......Page 42 A Community of Technology Advocates......Page 43 Connection to Technically-Sophisticated, Well-Funded Customers......Page 44 A Good Political Design......Page 45 The Remainder of this Book......Page 46 References......Page 47 PART I: PERSPECTIVES ON DARPA......Page 49 2. Fifty Years of Innovation and Discovery......Page 51 The “DARPA Model”......Page 52 DARPA’s Origins: Strategic Challenges ~1958......Page 53 What is DARPA?......Page 54 DARPA’s Key Characteristics......Page 57 Which DARPA?......Page 58 Key Elements of DARPA’s Success......Page 59 DARPA’s Successes......Page 61 Third Generation Info Tech—the Creation Interactive Information......Page 62 DARPA’s Role in Creating a Revolution in Military Affairs......Page 63 Sustaining the DARPA Vision......Page 64 References......Page 65 3. NSF and DARPA as Models for Research Funding: An Institutional Analysis......Page 67 I. Methodology and Research Approach......Page 69 Background......Page 70 Evaluation of Success......Page 71 Qualitative Findings......Page 74 The DARPA Model......Page 75 The NSF......Page 80 The NIH......Page 84 Evaluation of Experiences with Funding Agencies......Page 86 The NSF......Page 88 Economic and Sociological Perspective......Page 89 Conclusions......Page 94 References......Page 97 Introduction: Fundamentals of Defense Technology Development......Page 99 Role of Technology Innovation and Talent in Growth......Page 101 U.S. Innovation Organization at the Institutional Level......Page 103 Summary of the Innovation Analytical Framework......Page 107 Edison’s “Invention Factory” at Menlo Park, New Jersey......Page 110 Alfred Loomis and the Rad Lab at MIT, 1940–1945......Page 111 The Transistor Team at Bell Labs (1947)......Page 113 DARPA as a Unique Model—Combining Institutional Connectedness and Great Groups......Page 115 J. C. R. Licklider and the Beginnings of the DARPA Model......Page 116 Elements of the DARPA Model......Page 120 DARPA Today—The Future of the Model......Page 123 Questions about the DARPA Role......Page 124 Status of the Hybrid Model......Page 126 Altering the Ecosystem......Page 127 Summary......Page 134 References......Page 135 The Value of Vision in Radical Technological Innovation......Page 141 A Process Model of Radical Innovation......Page 142 New Dimensions of Vision......Page 143 Visions at the Program Level......Page 144 Vision Quality......Page 145 Visionaries of Technology......Page 150 The Development of Partial Visions......Page 152 Learning Radical Innovation Through Socialization......Page 154 Internal Review of Radical Innovation Ideas......Page 156 Conclusion......Page 157 References......Page 158 Introduction......Page 167 PARC and HCI......Page 169 Alto’s Offspring......Page 173 Apple’s Day in the PARC......Page 174 Microsoft’s Window on Xerox......Page 177 The Rest of the Story......Page 180 Vannevar Bush......Page 181 J. C. R. Licklider......Page 183 Ivan Sutherland......Page 185 Robert Taylor......Page 186 ARPA’s Army......Page 188 Windows on the Future......Page 193 Conclusions......Page 195 References......Page 197 1. Introduction......Page 201 2. The Developmental Network State......Page 205 3. The Changing Faces of DARPA......Page 211 4. Methods......Page 220 5. Results and Discussion......Page 222 5.1. DARPA in the 1990s (1992–2001)......Page 223 5.2. DARPA under Tony Tether (2001-present)......Page 231 6. Discussion: the DARPA Program Manager—Embedded Network Agent......Page 241 7. Conclusions......Page 244 Acknowledgements......Page 245 References......Page 246 Introduction......Page 251 General Framework and Typical Patterns of Program Development......Page 255 Case Studies of the Development of DARPA Programs......Page 258 Overview......Page 259 Origins......Page 260 DARPA Have Blue Prototype......Page 261 Transition to Air Force—Senior Trend......Page 262 Impact......Page 263 Other Key Roles in Program Formation......Page 264 Key Insights......Page 265 Context and History of Program Development......Page 266 Establishing the Assault Breaker Program......Page 267 Other Key Roles in Program Formation......Page 269 Key Insights......Page 270 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 271 DARPA High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs......Page 272 Predator......Page 273 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 275 Key Insights......Page 276 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 278 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 282 Key Insights......Page 283 Overview......Page 284 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 285 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 286 Key Insights......Page 289 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 290 Spintronics......Page 291 Beyond Spintronics......Page 292 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 293 Overview......Page 294 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 295 Other Key Roles in Program Formation......Page 297 Overview......Page 298 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 299 Key Insights......Page 300 Context and History of the Program Development......Page 301 Background and Role of the Program Manager......Page 302 Key Insights......Page 303 Process of Program Development......Page 304 Roles of Program Managers......Page 306 Additional Observations......Page 307 Concluding Thoughts......Page 308 References......Page 309 9. Some Questions about the DARPA Model......Page 311 References......Page 319 PART II: THE ROLE OF DARPA PROGRAM MANAGERS......Page 323 The Role of DARPA......Page 325 DARPA and Innovation?......Page 326 Developing and Running DARPA Programs......Page 328 Important Questions to Ask......Page 332 Timelines......Page 333 Additional Thoughts on Why DARPA is Needed......Page 334 A Flexible and Supportive Agency......Page 336 11. Program Management at DARPA: A Personal Perspective......Page 337 Soliciting and Reviewing Proposals......Page 338 Managing Programs......Page 339 Independence, Responsibility, and Accomplishments......Page 340 PART III: APPLYING THE DARPA MODEL IN OTHER SITUATIONS......Page 343 12. Lessons from DARPA for Innovating in Defense Legacy Sectors......Page 345 The Underlying Innovation Models......Page 346 Innovation Organization......Page 349 Beyond Pipeline......Page 351 First Things First—The Front End of the Innovation System......Page 352 Strengthening the Front End......Page 354 DARPA Innovation within the Defense Legacy Sector......Page 365 Stealth Aircraft......Page 368 Precision Strike......Page 370 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles......Page 372 Change Agents......Page 375 Conclusion: Innovation in the Defense Legacy Sector......Page 376 References......Page 379 Overview......Page 383 Well-Known Elements in the DARPA Culture......Page 387 Other Important Elements in the DARPA Model......Page 389 Problems in Tech Paradise......Page 403 Replicating Basic DARPA Elements......Page 405 New Elements at ARPA-E......Page 412 a. Sharpening the Research Visioning, Selection, and Support Process......Page 413 b. Building a Community of Support......Page 417 c. Technology Implementation......Page 421 Relevance of the Additional DARPA Features (cited above) for Applicability to ARPA-E......Page 426 III. The Remaining Technology Implementation Challenge for DARPA and ARPA-E......Page 431 A. The Implementation Problem: Launch Pathways for DARPA and ARPA-E Through Military Procurement, Established Industry and the Entrepreneur/VC Model......Page 432 1. Market Launch in the Military Sector......Page 433 2. Market Launch Through Established Industry......Page 435 3. Launching Through the Entrepreneur/VC Model: The Role of Entrepreneurs, Startups and VCs......Page 439 B. The Problems of Manufacturing and Testbeds......Page 443 IV. Conclusion—Brief Summary of Key Points......Page 448 References......Page 450 14. IARPA: A Modified DARPA Innovation Model......Page 457 The DARPA Model in the Context of Innovation Policy......Page 458 The IARPA Model......Page 463 Two Challenges to DARPA and its Clones—Manufacturing and Scaling up Startups......Page 469 Conclusion......Page 471 References......Page 472 15. Does NIH need a DARPA?......Page 475 Biomedical Success......Page 477 A Small Dose of DARPA......Page 480 PART IV: CONCLUSIONS......Page 483 16. Lessons from DARPA’s Experience......Page 485 Important Features......Page 486 Creating New Technical Communities......Page 488 DARPA and the Future......Page 489 General Histories of DARPA......Page 493 Histories of DARPA’s Contributions to Information Technology......Page 494 Chapter 6......Page 495 Chapter 8......Page 496 Index......Page 497