Ericsson announces 131 layoffs at its Genoa R&D site

Swedish telecommunications multinational Ericsson has initiated collective redundancy procedures for 131 employees at its site in Erzelli, Genoa. The layoffs affect 56 employees, 64 middle managers, and 11 executives.

The company is closing its entire Optical R&D department and parts of other research and development sections focused on advanced network technologies and infrastructure. Specifically, the cuts impact the Business Area Networks (Bnew), which handles hardware and software for 5G and 6G mobile network infrastructure, as well as the Business Cloud Software and Services (Bess) division.

Ericsson cited the progressive decline and challenging dynamics of the Italian telecommunications market as a primary cause. Local labor representatives and political figures have described the move as a “social drama” and a significant blow to Genoa’s technological prestige and its goal of becoming a research and innovation hub. Critics argue the decision disregards highly specialized expertise and will have severe economic consequences for the local territory.