George writes for The Times.

At the turn of 2020, most people would not have so much as heard of the term “coronavirus.” Just two years later, nearly three quarters of the UK’s population have received a vaccination — which did not even exist a year previously — against the novel disease.

From the perspective of its painful midst, it has been easy to preoccupy ourselves with the day-to-day challenges of the political and

practical governance of this national health crisis. But as we begin to come out of it the other side, and when future generations look back on this episode in history, we will recognise — I have no doubt — an exceptional moment for British science.

This pandemic has emphasised just what extraordinary advances can be made when brilliant, pioneering intellects are supported with adequate impetus, freedom, and resource to turn their curiosities into experimentation, and their experimentations into tangible, world-altering innovations.

Covid-19 has of course given rise to social and scientific rupture on a global scale, but there is no denying the key role UK-grown innovation played at the new frontier.

It was Oxford scientists — Professor Sarah Gilbert, Dr Catherine Green and their remarkable team — who led the ground-breaking development of the AstraZeneca vaccination for example, which is now is use in 182 countries, more than any other Covid-9 vaccine.

Even more recently, the UK medicines regulator approved the use of molnupiravir, the first ever pill designed to treat symptomatic forms of the virus. This was yet another historic day for UK science as we became the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that may be taken at home to treat Covid-19.

These world-leading programmes have proven what the UK can achieve at scale and speed, and with the right direction, pace and backing, I am confident we can breathe life into many more scientific and technological breakthroughs that will transform the lives of people across the UK and the world.

This is exactly why the government established the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) — a new science and research funding agency, backed by £800m, which will retain a sole focus on supporting high-risk, high-reward research with the potential to create profound change.

The ability to retain a long-term focus and willingness to try, fail, fail again and fail better will be of particular importance. As the generations of innovators that came before us would attest, man did not conquer the moon in one attempt. Every giant leap for scientific discovery begins with one small step into the unknown.

My vision is therefore for ARIA to be our very own Mars rover for discovery — heading off into the unknown, with world class discovery scientists — free of traditional grant-funding bureaucracy – given the scope to pursue bold ideas, as well as the freedom to fail. ARIA will have the freedom to delve deeply into the biggest scientific challenges of the 21st century, making use of the UK’s world-leading research base, and transmitting its findings to the scientific community across the country and beyond.

We need only look at the US’ research agency DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to observe the power of supporting early-stage technological breakthroughs without restriction. Since its inception in the late 1950s, DARPA’s showreel of success stories includes the creation of satellite navigation tracking, the digital virtual assistant, and the Intergalactic Computer Network. In their modern iterations, that’s GPS, Apple’s SIRI, and the Internet.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given this impressive legacy, ARIA has drawn inspiration from DARPA’s successful blueprint, as it will offer similar freedoms from bureaucracy and give great autonomy to visionary researchers to pursue high-risk work.

It will operate with the agility to fund transformational science, with the pace, freedom and flexibility of a tech start-up and the facilities of the established UK science infrastructure. Programme, people, and funding decisions will be made by experts, not by ministers or Whitehall officials.

I am therefore delighted that the Business Secretary has this week appointed DARPA’s Deputy Director, the uniquely capable Dr Peter Highman, as ARIA’s first chief executive. His expert direction will lead the agency’s formation and ensure the funding of high-risk programmes that will continue to push the boundaries of science and technology.

Dr Highnam’s renowned leadership and reputation reinforces the UK’s status on the international stage as a true innovation nation and a pioneer of transformational science that will impact our society and economy for years to come.

This Government’s — and my own personal — commitment to this vision is clear. At last year’s Spending Review, we set out plans to increase public R&D funding to £20 billion by 2024/25, cementing the UK’s status as a science superpower and building on the iconic legacy of discovery established by British inventors from Ada Lovelace, Frank Whittle and Alan Turing, to Dame Sarah Gilbert’s team developing the Covid vaccine.

While the world-leading work of the Vaccines Taskforce has made clear that this spirit of invention remains well and truly alive, the 21st century has presented us with some of the biggest challenges yet – from tackling climate change and defeating disease, to seizing the potential of Artificial Intelligence and unravelling the mysteries of space.

ARIA will put the power into the hands our best, brightest, and most creative, harnessing the combined might of the UK’s greatest intellects and providing the tools and the freedom for our innovators to discover new solutions to the challenges of tomorrow and beyond.

George Freeman MP is the minister for science, research & innovation