Sir Ian Taylor is one of New Zealand’s biggest business success stories. This well-known tech entrepreneur studied and graduated in law at the University of Otago and then worked in the media as a TV presenter before founding Animation Research Ltd. The company is a leading computer graphics production business in New Zealand and has innovated several solutions since it purchased its first hard drive, which it did for NZ$15,000 back in the 1990s.
As Sir Ian’s company has prospered and undertaken more projects, the innovator has earned several recognitions for his contributions to the tech industry and beyond. Below, we take a look at his company, achievements and impact on the world.
Animation Research Ltd
Animation Research Ltd started up in 1990, running beside Sir Ian’s other company, TV producer Taylormade Media, which operated for 10 years from 1989. Primarily, Animation Research is a computer graphics company and specialises in transforming digital data into images.
The company offers its services in a range of other areas, including post-production through its sister company The Video Factory; mobile development, an area it was operating in long before it was possible to download an app onto a mobile device; television, supporting commercials, TV programmes and more; and visualisation, such as 3D immersion, stereoscopic production, visualisation of the natural world and architectural visualisation.
Online Casino World Take Note
Pokies are popular in New Zealand and casinos are always seeking to keep abreast of the latest technology innovations, online and offline. Sir Ian’s company is certain to have had an impact on online pokies NZ, as it has elsewhere.
Graphics and themes are a major part of pokies and other electronic casino games’ appeal. Online pokie sites understand this and will offer a variety of games with different themes, creating the opportunity for players to find a game that is right for them.
Sir Ian’s Achievements and Impact
Sir Ian Taylor’s ‘can do’ attitude and mindset have allowed him to work on some major projects with his company and thrive, despite not even having the experience sometimes. Big project successes include working on an air traffic control simulator for Air New Zealand, a racing simulator for a leading team, and online platforms for global mining giants and tech companies. Animation Research Ltd’s graphics work for the 1992 America’s Cup has been credited with bringing golf to the casual sports fan. Today, the company works with a lot of major sports broadcasters and several sports franchises, including the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and Major League Baseball.
Land of Voyagers
2019 was a major year for Sir Ian, as his company produced what the entrepreneur calls his greatest work: the Land of Voyagers project. The project, consisting of different multimedia elements, tells the story of three navigators and their crews’ journey to Aotearoa (the Māori name for New Zealand) with only the technology of their Polynesian predecessors to support them.
Nominations Sir Galore
2019 wasn’t just successful for Sir Ian in terms of business. That year, he was named ‘New Zealand Innovator of the Year’. Two years later, he received a knighthood – officially, he’s a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit – for his services to business, broadcasting and the community (he was already a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, which he received in 2012).
Those are just two recognitions he’s received. In 2009, he received induction into the New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame. The following year, North and South magazine named him ‘New Zealand Man of the Year’ and he received an Honorary Fellowship from the New Zealand Computer Society.
In 2020, he was named ‘Deloitte Top 200 Visionary Leader of the Year’. 2020 was also a big year in terms of how his business operated, as world events obliged him to innovate and change how the company delivered its Virtual Eye product to the world. He built a remote studio in the company’s Dunedin office so that they didn’t have to travel as much. This reduced their carbon footprint and created lots of opportunities within the sports market for the company to expand further.
In 2022, the University of Otago made Sir Ian an Honorary Doctor of Commerce. Two years later, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame for his contribution to the country’s economic and social development.
Sir Ian Taylor has had a highly successful career so far. His can-do attitude and tolerance for risk have been major factors in this success. Outside of business, he’s devoted to healthcare, education, and inspiring Māori and Pasifika students to pursue STEM-field subjects. He really is a force to be admired.
