CSIRO’s wireless unit is being cut down due to budget pressures, according to a report from the CSIRO Staff Association.
The wireless unit was responsible for the high-profile windfall of almost half a billion dollars in patent royalties from its WiFi invention, and in April 2012, allowed the CSIRO to in another $220 million in royalties, as three US companies settled on a patent agreement.
Now, budget pressures and an upcoming revamp of the Federal innovation and industry policy are prompting the CSIRO to cut three key research positions in the wireless lab, representing a 5 percent workforce cut from the program.
According to CSIRO Staff Association President Dr Michael Borgas, the redundancies have been announced by CSIRO for the Wireless and Networking Technology Program. He has denounced the move as a “short-sighted decision”.
There are 60 full-time researchers involved in the Wireless Networking Technologies Research Program, which is located in Sydney. The wireless unit is involved in a number of CSIRO themes, including the SKA project, and is working on next-gen wireless communications technologies.
CSIRO management has claimed that the reductions would “not eliminate any scientific capability” but the CSIRO Staff Association expressed doubts, citing the loss of another five research positions less than 12 months ago due to a restructure.
“It’s reasonable to predict that the loss of these additional research positions will result in some loss of capability,” said Dr Borgas.
According to CSIRO management, the candidates for redundancy are one scientist and two others employed on a technical basis, and it is looking at possibly deploying them elsewhere in the organisation.