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Plymouth virtual reality firm set to increase turnover tenfold [Western Morning News (England)]
[July 24, 2014]

Plymouth virtual reality firm set to increase turnover tenfold [Western Morning News (England)]


(Western Morning News (England) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) A virtual reality business is set to increase its turnover tenfold this year, having tripled its staff numbers over the last 12 months, after winning a top military contract.

The growth of Plymouth Science Park company Real Visual is partly the result of winning a major contract with BAE Systems to provide visualisations for military training on submarines.

Real Visual's turnover is on target to grow from Pounds 100,000 to Pounds 1million in 2014/15. Its team has grown from six to 18, with plans to create a further 10 new jobs over the next 12 months.

The business recently opened offices in London and Melbourne, but has no plans to move its head office from Plymouth.

Since it was established in 2011 by Plymouth-born Nick Palfrey, Real Visual has moved seven times within the Park to accommodate its growing team. With six Plymouth University graduates on its staff, Real Visual develops world-class 3D visualisations for industries as diverse as architecture, defence and creative industries. The company has just been chosen as the first preferred partner studio for leading game design software Unity 3D.



Real Visual harnesses the power of Unity not to create games but instead to build highly realistic visualisations for a global client base.

The Plymouth firm has applied the same principles for BAE Systems and designed a series of simulations for the defence contractor which will be used by the Royal Navy to familiarise personnel with the layout of submarines based at Devonport. By exploring the vessels on screen, officers can carry out some of their training, including fire drills, while submarines are at sea.


Real Visual Chief Executive Officer Nick Palfrey said: "Being named first preferred partner studio for Unity 3D is another exceptional achievement, given the breadth and quality of studios using this market leading game design software.

"Since we launched at Plymouth Science Park we have grown from a little lifestyle company to a global business. "It's not easy being a start-up, but the flexibility of the Park's arrangements have really helped us as we've grown." (c) 2014 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved.

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