Xsil, a 14-month old company specialising in the development of precision laser systems and robotics, has taken top prize in the 2001 National Innovation Awards.
The company, based in the Trinity Enterprise Centre in Dublin's Pearse Street, already employs 62 people, nine of them scientists. Chief executive Mr Peter Conlon predicts it will have sales of between $12 (€13 million) and $15 million within the next year.
Xsil has designed a machine capable of developing previously impossible micro-structures for semiconductor, telecom, biomedical and sensor device applications. Prototypes of the machine have been tested successfully, establishing that the engineering, laser techniques and software involved are of exceptional quality.
The first of the machines was shipped to the US five weeks ago.
Mr Conlon, who recently sold his MV Technology company - which made capital inspection equipment - for €100 million, is one of the main stakeholders in the privately funded company. Other shareholders include senior management: Dr Adrian Boyle, chief technology officer; Mr Brian Farrell, vice-president of engineering; and Mr Niall Burke, senior assistant engineer.
The Minister of State for Science, Technology and Commerce, Mr Noel Treacy, who presented the awards in Dublin yesterday, said it had been a difficult year for many companies at the leading edge of technology.
"The great leaders in technology around the world are responding to this difficulty in a variety of ways but renewed innovation is seen as one of the ways forward for them", he said.
"New products, new methods of manufacture, new work practices, new ways of marketing and selling - they all go to prove that the companies which never stand still are the ones that are finding their way through the current difficult climate," he added
Dr Patrick Galvin, chairman of the judging panel, said he and his colleagues had never had a more difficult task and the standard of entries had been higher than ever. Innovation, application and a culture of welcoming change were factors characterising the finalists and winners.
The National Innovation Awards are part of the Government's Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Awareness Programme, and are sponsored by The Irish Times and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Xsil also won the small business category, Elan Biotechnology Research (Dublin) won the medium-sized business award, while Metronic AVE (Galway) was the winner in the large business category.
Corvil Networks Ltd (Dublin) won the new technology award, and the special merit award went to Cork company Andrews Surgical Innovations.
