Following the BBC’s announcement of further staff reductions by 500, the organization’s Chief Technology Officer, Peter O’Kane, has outlined changes to BBC Research and Development. The division will adopt a sharper focus to deliver value for audiences, the creative sector, and the wider industry.
“We want to accelerate how fast we innovate – collaborating with teams internally and organisations externally to make sure audiences get the best value from the BBC – and do everything we can to support the move to digital services delivered over the Internet,” O’Kane stated in a Blog post.
O’Kane emphasized that BBC R&D’s remit, role, and purpose will remain unchanged. The division will continue to play a crucial role in accelerating innovation across the BBC. “We will continue to invent, innovate, and influence the industry in internet-based, digital and broadcasting technologies that benefit the BBC and contribute to the UK creative economy,” he added.
To achieve this sharper focus, BBC R&D will be organized into six teams. These include a team dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, another focusing on media distribution, and a third dedicated to defining and influencing technology standards.
O’Kane acknowledged that this increased focus will mean the BBC won’t be able to pursue every project currently underway. The exact number of roles to be lost within R&D is not yet clear.