Irish software company Havok, whose technology drives the physics behind best-selling games such as Halo 3, Assassin’s Creed and Bioshock, scooped the Trinity College Dublin (TCD) Innovation Award 2007.
The award was taken by both Dr Steven Collins and Hugh Reynolds for their work in establishing Havok before it went on to sell for €76m to Intel on 19 September this year.
The real-time physics and animation software supplied by the company make Havok a world leader, used by over 70 different games developers in most best-selling games for the Xbox, PlayStation 3 and PSP and PC that are seen on shop shelves today.
“The significance of this award is that it recognises the courage and excellence of two academically trained researchers who drove themselves with dedication to achieve the creation of a new software company in a highly specialised but very competitive niche area, and who are now sharing their experiences to assist others to venture down similar paths,” said Dr Eoin O’Neill, director of entrepreneurship, TCD.
Before establishing a global presence the company was actually a TCD campus company created while Collins and Reynolds were lecturing there.
Collins has now returned to the School of Computer Science and Statistics and is the course co-ordinator for the new master’s degree in computer games design, while Reynolds holds an advisory role with new, upcoming Irish and international companies.
“Their experience and exit will encourage venture capitalists and other funders to back projects arising from the college’s research portfolio, and to support ventures started by graduates who can now in larger numbers leave the college energised by this example of their lecturers and fellow researchers’ commitment to innovation,” said O’Neill.
By Marie Boran
