This week the Prime Minister disrupted Whitehall, creating four new departments: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ); a combined Department for Business and Trade (DBT, or DBaT if you prefer); the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT); and a “refocused” Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Given where the Conservative Party stands in the polls, some have called it rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. But this is unfair. Everyone says they want politicians to look beyond the election cycle – we can’t have it both ways.

Particularly as these changes are long overdue. Other countries around the world have a focused department for energy for the obvious reason that it needs focus. As I previously argued, “tech policy would fit better within BEIS (or whatever they decide to call it next).” And splitting business and trade creates unnecessary silos.

The most exciting announcement is the creation of DSIT. Being at the cutting edge of innovation policy often puts our ideas at odds with the structure of government. Giving science, innovation and technology a space at the top table is – to namecheck our report – the way of the future.

That said, it should be acknowledged that there is no perfect way of splitting up the cross-cutting functions of government. And more and more, technology and innovation has and will upturn every aspect of policymaking – whether that’s the way we work, the way we learn or the way healthcare is delivered. In time, the state will become increasingly dominated by funding and procuring, regulating and banning technological innovations.

Critically, these technologies are much more complex than anything past governments have had to deal with. As things stand, government, regulators and the state at large aren’t up to the task. This isn’t a reflection of the people who work there – many of whom appreciate the challenge – but baked into an increasingly sophisticated set of problems.

To take the most in vogue example, ChatGPT has shaken everyone out of the great stagnation, alerting everyone to what’s possible – both on the upside and downside.

Governments are trying. The creation of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) is a case in point. As Matt Clifford tweets, it’s looking for Programme Directors: “This might be the most exciting R&D job anywhere in the world: ‘imagine your version of the future, then create it’.” Check out this video from Works In Progress for inspiration. I hope some of you apply – and spread the word.

And others outside government are trying to improve the inputs. We’re particularly encouraged by the ambitions of Civic Future. This week they opened up applications for their fellowships to attract more talented people and prepare them for public roles. Once again, I hope some of you apply – and spread the word.

Easy Does It
Governments across the world used to care a lot about the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index. That was until Paul Romer, its former chief economist, revealed that before his tenure the methodology had been manipulated to attract funding and penalise certain countries.

Nevertheless, I think it’s fair to say that the UK wasn’t being unfairly penalised when year in year out we scored low on our ease of registering property – that is the procedures, time, and cost to register commercial real estate. In the background, this is something successive governments have tried to fix.

This week the Ordnance Survey got in touch to share an open call for applications onto its Geovation Accelerator Programme. Startups will get a £20,000 grant (no equity taken) and access to geodata from OS and property data from HM Land Registry. Find out more here.