Opposition news | 13 February 2013
Following the always entertaining – in a dry sort of way – Senate Estimates Committee hearings, the opposition claimed the viability of the CSIRO’s highly successful wireless technology research division is under threat. CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Megan Clark revealed at the hearing of the Economics committee that a portion of wireless licensing revenue would be siphoned off to the government, with further job cuts in the wireless division also possible.
Senator Brett Mason, Shadow Minister for Universities and Research decalred that
The government has once again been caught with its hand in the till. CSIRO research output and CSIRO researchers are now paying the price for Labor’s economic mismanagement and the inability to balance their books.
WiFi technology, which has been developed by CSIRO, is now used in hundreds of millions of computers and mobile communications devices around the world. Last year, CSIRO reached a settlement with American IT and communications companies, receiving $220 million in royalties for the use of its technology.
Under questioning from Mason Dr Clark acknowledged that there had been job cuts in the wireless research division, although could not confirm reports that the division has had its capacity cut by 23% in the last 12 months.
Dr Clark also revealed that the government would siphon off half of all the proceeds above $30 million from CSIRO’s very successful wireless technology licensing scheme (which adds up to $125 million for CSIRO and $95 million for Treasury) . In the past, CSIRO has kept all the proceeds from its inventions to re-invest back into its own research.
Faced with losing part of the organisation’s income to Treasury, Dr Clark did not rule out further job cuts in CSIRO’s wireless division. According to Mason,
This undermines ongoing research output and licensing royalties from CSIRO’s wireless technology division, which have been the CSIRO’s primary revenue stream during much of the last decade.
Although the revenue sharing arrangement with Treasury is intended to provide a “return to taxpayers”, Masom said it is unclear how these proceeds will be used by the government.
