CSIRO welcomes the Productivity Commission report

Acting Chief Executive Dr Ron Sandland says “The report recognises that CSIRO has gone through considerable change in the last few years and is now delivering results.”

“We are delighted that the Commission recognises CSIRO has developed a “rigorous, flexible and robust priority setting research framework.”

Dr Sandland said the commission highlighted the importance of CSIRO’s research spending in “relatively strong public good outcomes, which accounted for just over 50 per cent of CSIRO’s research activity in 2005-6.”

He added the report found that recent changes in CSIRO’s science investment processes have improved its research focus and provide a framework for ensuring that the organisation does not perform research that the private sector would otherwise undertake.

It also found the current level of public appropriation funding for CSIRO should not be reduced; and that aspects of CSIRO’s approach to priority setting and performance management may have wider applicability to other parts of Australia’s innovation systems.