Nokia just issued a press release announcing a 2% reduction in research and development staff located in Oulu, Finland and Copenhagen, Denmark:
Nokia continues to streamline its R&D operations
Espoo, Finland — Nokia plans to align its research and development (R&D) operations in Finland and Denmark to be in line with the company’s focused portfolio of future products. The planned changes are expected to affect up to 230 employees at Nokia’s Oulu site in Finland and approximately 100 employees at Nokia’s Copenhagen site. The total number would represent approximately 2 % of Nokia’s R&D personnel globally.
Nokia aims to support the employees with alternative solutions, such as finding new positions within the company for as many employees as possible. Nokia will begin consultations with employee representatives about these plans where voluntary severance packages among other topics will be discussed.
Nokia maintains a strong R&D presence in both sites; the company has over 2 000 employees in Oulu and over 1 000 employees in Copenhagen. Overall, Nokia has more than 17 000 people employed in its research and development activities.
That’s pretty sad considering that now more than ever Nokia needs to innovate. Then again as a former employee I think the actual problem is not the amount of research being done, but the difficulty of getting said research to market. Finding someone to fund your idea, and then bring it up to higher management, all before the next yearly reorganization, is not an easy thing to do.
[Photo above is of the Toripolliisi (English: The Bobby at the Market Place) statue located in Oulu]