Operation Paperclip 2.0: The EU's Opportunity to Blitzscale their DARPA and Lincoln Lab Equivalents
By: E.C. Browne
After the fall of Nazi Germany in WWII, the US intelligence community conducted an operation called "Paperclip" to EXFIL more than a thousand scientists and engineers from the ashes of the collapsed fascist state. The result of which catapulted America to global dominance in defense, aerospace and consumer-facing technology at scale. The United States had become the haven for immigrants in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) community seeking to escape all the “isms” that history has proven to be counterproductive to the survival of any advanced society.
Fast forward 80 years to the past two months. Signals have emerged that the United States is rapidly moving in a direction less hospitable to immigrants in STEM fields. In addition to this, reports of reduced federal funding for STEM - combined with concerns over immigration pathways for high-skilled researchers - have led many foreign scientists and engineers to look for new opportunities abroad. This briskly shifting landscape has prompted numerous European leaders and institutions to consider how best to attract these skilled individuals while simultaneously building up capacity for advanced research. In some respects, the situation echoes Operation Paperclip, but reversed, where instead of scientists fleeing Europe into the United States, they’re leaving the US as it harshly pivots towards numerous harmful “isms.”
The strategic rationale behind this is clear. Europe stands on the cusp of new challenges and sees an opening to consolidate research leadership, strengthen defense innovation, and possibly prepare for high-intensity competition with a resurgent Russia. By tapping into a wave of departing US-based scientists, the European Union (EU) and its member states can seize the momentum to expand their own equivalents of America’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The objective in doing so is to lead in emergent dual-use technologies - especially in areas spanning AI, quantum computing, autonomous systems, and cutting-edge sensing - thus bolstering Europe’s defense posture and broader technology competitiveness.
The Emergence of an “Anti-STEM” Trend in the United States
The possibility that the US government is becoming “anti-STEM” has generated growing alarm. Observers cite instances of budget cuts to areas such as environmental, climate, and health research [7], as well as layoffs of federally employed scientists. Some leading researchers worry about the long-term stability of US grant funding. Even in high-profile fields such as artificial intelligence, experts have warned that the United States’ apparent shift in priorities could drive talent to seek more secure opportunities elsewhere.
From an international perspective, this climate contrasts sharply with the traditional magnetism of American labs, universities, and technology corporations. As a result, more European universities and labs see an opening to attract first-rate researchers. France’s Aix-Marseille University explicitly launched new programs designed to welcome US researchers concerned about losing funding at home [6]. Others in Europe underscore that this “sad opportunity,” if capitalized upon, could accelerate EU technological innovation and bolster its standing in critical defense and civilian applications.
Calls for a European DARPA and Lessons from US Defense R&D
A key impetus behind Europe’s interest in absorbing US-based talent is the desire to establish a European version of DARPA, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA’s track record of fostering innovations - GPS, stealth technology, drone systems, and ARPANET - shows how high-risk, government-funded research can yield transformative breakthroughs [4][5].
The DARPA model rests on five major pillars:
• Independence from other agencies and bureaucracies
• Agile structures and decision-making
• Top-level sponsorship but minimal micromanagement
• Community building that links academia, industry, and user communities
• Diverse leadership and short-term project managers who rotate in with fresh ideas
France’s President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly urged the EU to build its own DARPA-like organization, while Germany, Italy, and other Member States have also investigated this option [4][5]. The logic is that a DARPA-modeled agency, armed with ample funding and flexible management, would accelerate Europe’s capacity to explore emerging dual-use technologies - ranging from artificial intelligence and advanced sensors to space-based systems and cybersecurity.
The MIT Lincoln Laboratory Example: Bridging R&D and Defense
Alongside DARPA, MIT Lincoln Laboratory is another often-cited example of how to organize high-level, defense-oriented research [2]. Founded in the early 1950s to help create advanced radar systems and ballistic missile defense, Lincoln Laboratory has spent decades pioneering capabilities at the intersection of fundamental engineering discovery and real-world defense needs.
Its success, much like DARPA’s, stems partly from:
• Strong mission alignment with the Department of Defense, but autonomy in project management
• Integration of warfighters into early project stages (i.e., user-centric design)
• An “ecosystem” approach, bridging academia, industry, and government testing sites
• A culture willing to invest in cutting-edge prototypes and new technologies
European leaders see particular relevance in Lincoln Laboratory’s record of rapidly transitioning prototypes into operational tools - ranging from advanced radar to AI-driven analytics - while generating civilian spin-offs. This is the type of synergy the EU hopes to replicate.
Europe’s Potential Gains from the “Brain Gain”
For Europe, the possible exodus of US-based scientists is more than just a chance to gain skilled human capital. It could serve as a springboard for a broader transformation of EU research and innovation. Among the benefits:
• Speeding up the creation or expansion of advanced labs committed to dual-use technologies like photonics, neural networks, quantum computing, and next-generation electronics.
• Infusing new cultural norms regarding “failing fast” or “pivoting quickly” in R&D programs - norms integral to DARPA’s successes but less common in Europe’s typically conservative project management culture [1][5].
• Building robust communities of scientists, warfighters, and industry players who collaborate from the earliest stages of research, thereby facilitating the path from ideas to market or deployment.
Recent EU-level discussions on competitiveness have also underscored the importance of this opportunity. The “Draghi Report” and other official documents note that Europe cannot rely indefinitely on external suppliers for advanced technology [3][4]. A critical mass of highly trained researchers, especially those already seasoned in US-based labs, could help the EU establish leading positions in critical fields.
The Global Geopolitical Context: Russia and Beyond
A second driver is a perceived uptick in global threats. If tensions with Russia persist or escalate, Europe’s capacity to field advanced detection, missile defense, and cyber-resilience measures becomes paramount. The US historically responded to such challenges by significantly ramping up advanced R&D (for instance, DARPA’s founding in response to Sputnik). Europe is now entertaining the idea that a similarly focused agency - funded and operated at an EU-wide scale - can produce breakthroughs in surveillance, command-and-control systems, satellite networks, and AI-driven situational awareness.
Moreover, as defense technologies often yield commercial spinoffs, the payoff could extend to a wide range of economic sectors, including communications, logistics, health care, and automotive. Historically, DARPA’s success in developing the internet and GPS underscores how military technologies can redefine entire industries.
Overcoming Structural Obstacles Within the EU
Despite enthusiasm, many observers note that Europe’s governance model poses challenges. If each Member State prefers to protect national R&D and industrial champions, the result can be fragmentation rather than synergy. Major budget allocations in the EU often emerge from protracted negotiations, and research funding can be fragmented across multiple frameworks and committees. Yet a unified defense research agency requires autonomy, robust funding, and an acceptance of risk - conditions sometimes at odds with existing EU structures.
Several smaller-scale European institutions have attempted partial DARPA clones, such as the European Innovation Council or Germany’s SPRIN-D [4]. But critics argue that these initiatives still lack the scale or independence enjoyed by DARPA. They also point out that the short decision loops critical to rapid innovation can be stifled by the EU’s multi-tiered administrative layers. If the EU truly wants to replicate DARPA or MIT Lincoln Laboratory, it must guarantee direct access to capital, minimal bureaucratic hurdles, and agile project management.
At the same time, the influx of American-trained or American-based researchers may help spur a cultural shift. Those scientists bring firsthand experience of flexible grants, user-focused prototyping, and tolerance of “fast failures” that can become valuable lessons for a reconfigured European agency.
Toward a New Era of European Defense Innovation
Europe’s renewed ambition to become a technological leader in dual-use innovation coincides with a moment when the United States appears to be undergoing retrenchment in certain areas of research funding. The stage is thus set for an historic opportunity: a reversed Operation Paperclip, in which top US-based scientists pivot to Europe in search of stable, well-funded environments for their work.
By absorbing that talent, the EU can supercharge efforts to build a “DARPA-like” agency capable of tackling major defense and technology challenges and, in parallel, channel resources to labs akin to MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Such institutions would provide an environment where advanced R&D is quickly prototyped, tested, and eventually deployed - potentially affording Europe both strategic autonomy and a cutting-edge advantage.
Still, major obstacles remain. Europe’s multi-state governance structure can hamper rapid decision-making; separate national priorities must converge on a single policy framework for the new enterprise to succeed. Yet if European leaders address these issues - by investing at scale, providing flexible funding mechanisms, and streamlining management - this could launch a new epoch in European innovation. In that case, the region would not only welcome scientists and engineers displaced from the US, but also recast itself as a prime destination for the world’s best STEM minds, consolidating the EU’s readiness to handle potential conflicts with Russia or other global crises in the years ahead.
References
[2] MIT Lincoln Laboratory: Technology in Support of National Security, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, 2011.
[4] “Can Europe Really Build Its Own DARPA?,” policy and expert opinions, 2024.
