Science and Technology Secretary Chloe Smith has today (Tuesday 27 June) formally appointed Sir Patrick Vallance to continue serving on the Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s

(ARIA) board. The former government Chief Scientific Adviser has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director.

ARIA was formally established at the start of the year, and is an independent body tasked with creating transformational research programmes with the potential to create new technological capabilities for the benefit of humanity

It is a key part of the government’s plans to build a better future with innovation at the heart of the Prime Minister’s priorities of growing the economy and improving lives

Sir Patrick provided invaluable support in the establishment of ARIA, and served on the ARIA board in his capacity as the government’s Chief Scientific Advisor until departing that role earlier this year.

He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organisation. Before taking the government role that thrust him into the spotlight during the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sir Patrick held several senior roles at pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, and before that he led the Division of Medicine at University College London and worked in the NHS.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Chloe Smith said:

The UK has led the way in scientific discoveries and pioneering technology throughout modern history, from the discovery of penicillin, to the first computer, through to cutting-edge work today on genomic medicines and quantum computing that is on the cusp of delivering transformative benefits to us all.

ARIA’s ability to empower UK scientists and researchers to take risks to explore the very boundaries of the unknown will be vital to our ambitions as a science superpower. Adding Sir Patrick’s enormous wealth of experience will give the Agency, and UK science overall, another formidable asset to call upon as the global race for science and technology leadership heats up.

Sir Patrick Vallance said

I am delighted to continue serving on ARIA’s founding board and I look forward to supporting the Agency as it forges ahead with its mission to take bold bets that amplify the strengths of our world-class research ecosystem.

ARIA Chief Executive Officer Dr Ilan Gur said:

Sir Patrick has already been an invaluable mentor in shaping the agency, drawing on his global leadership in applying scientific research for the benefit of humanity.

I’m thrilled that Sir Patrick will continue to serve on ARIA’s board. His guidance will be vital as we prepare to launch a first set of transformative R&D programmes later this year.

Sir Patrick will join a slate of Non-Executives already providing strategic direction to the organisation.

Matt Clifford MBE (Non-Executive Chair), co-founder and CEO of Entrepreneur First, co-founder and non-executive director of Code First Girls, has served as a Council Member at Innovate UK, and is a Trustee of the Kennedy Memorial Trust.

Stephen Cohen, a UK Civil Service Commissioner and a Commissioner for the Gambling Commission, who has over 40 years’ experience in asset management, in Asia, Europe and the USA.

Professor Sir David MacMillan, a Nobel Prize winning organic chemist and the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry at Princeton University.

Sarah Hunter, public policy expert who has worked across Silicon Valley and London. She is the former Global Director of Public Policy at X, the Moonshot Factory.

Dame Kate Bingham (DBE), Managing Partner at SV Health Investors and former Chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce.

Professor Dame Angela McLean, government Chief Scientific Adviser. She is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession.

ARIA has been designed with a unique level of freedom which puts trust in the decisions of experts in their field and empowers them to quickly allocate funding in support of their ambitious vision. Photo by The Royal Society, Wikimedia commons.