CSIRO’s WLAN technology wins international award

Australian science has been recognised as among the world’s best after the Minister for Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans, announced that the CSIRO inventors behind the WLAN technology have won the European Inventor Award.

CSIRO invented and patented wireless LAN technology in the 1990s. WLAN technology is used in offices, public buildings, homes and coffee shops - often called ‘Wi-Fi hotspots’ - connecting to products such as phones, televisions, cameras, laptops, printers, routers and games consoles.

“CSIRO’s technology is now estimated to be in more than three billion devices around the world, so it’s a truly global technology that has now received global recognition,” Senator Evans said.

“Congratulations to Dr John O’Sullivan, Dr Terry Percival, Mr Diet Ostry, Mr Graham Daniels and Mr John Deane on winning this prestigious international award.

“This is the first time an Australian team has won this award and this is wonderful recognition for a technology that has changed our lives.”

The awards were announced at a ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 June.

European Patent Office President Benoit Battistelli said: “The work completed by Dr O’Sullivan and his team perfectly demonstrates how a publicly funded research centre can use patent protection and licensing revenue to finance further innovation.”

Inventors Dr O’Sullivan and Dr Percival attended the event at the Royal Danish Playhouse in Copenhagen, along with the Danish Crown Prince and Princess, around 350 economic and political decision-makers, researchers, scientists and intellectual property specialists.