THE inventor of the Hawk-Eye ball tracking system received an honorary doctorate from Southampton Solent University this week.

Paul Hawkins received his Doctor of Technology for his outstanding contribution to sporting technology.

The founder of Hawk-Eye Innovations, now owned by Sony and based in Jays Close, in Viables, Basingstoke, is responsible for the Hawk-Eye technology best known for its role in assisting sports adjudication in football, tennis and cricket. He is among more than 6,500 students who, over five days this week, have donned gowns and mortar boards for the annual graduation ceremonies at Southampton Solent University.

Receiving his Honorary Doctor of Technology on Monday, Paul said: “Today is the day when the new chapter of many of your lives will start. “My advice to you is to follow your dreams. I encourage you to find that thing you love and then pursue it wholeheartedly.”

Rapid developments in the technology extended its capability and it was used at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012. It has been used in snooker and golf and in wider sports coverage by broadcasters to assist in analysis and commentary. This year, Hawk-Eye took responsibility for the complete television production of three outside courts at Wimbledon, with each court consisting of three broadcast cameras automatically following the players. This enabled the entire production to be conducted with just one person covering each court.

Paul has taken the Hawk-Eye business from a start-up to a multi award-winning £30 million business employing around 100 staff. Other recipients of honorary doctorates have included Paul Smith, the founder of Celador Entertainment, which owns The Breeze Basingstoke & North Hampshire radio station, and Ian Murray, Editor-in-Chief of the Gazette’s sister paper the Southern Daily Echo.

Both received awards of Honorary Doctor in Media.

Paul has led Celador Entertainment for over thirty-five years and was instrumental in bringing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to the world’s television screens. He went on to be the executive producer for the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Delighted to accept the award, Paul said: “It is a chance for industry to play a role in educating the next generation and I am looking forward to sharing my expertise with the students.”

Ian, whose award was for his contributions to the newspaper industry, in which he has worked for 35 years.

A familiar figure to journalism students at the university, where Ian delivers masterclasses, he is also a member of the Editors’ Code of Practice Committee of the former Press Complaints Commission, now the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO).

He joined the board of the Society of Editors in 2010 and recently stepped down as its president.

After receiving his award, he said: “It was one of the most important days of my life.

“Southampton Solent University has such a creative buzz about it and I am truly honoured to have been part of the graduation ceremony at the Guildhall, where so many future leaders of media were receiving degrees.”