He was a co-founder of Cambridge Silicon Radio Ltd which, as London Stock Exchange FTSE 250 company CSR plc, became the Bluetooth chip market leader.

[5][6][7] O'Donovan joined the Microprocessor Applications Centre at AERE Harwell in 1975 as a Research Fellow where he developed and commissioned a range of rack-mounted Motorola 6800 microprocessor-based modules for automating the use of scanning electron microscopes.

[12] The FAOR project involved two companies and three universities spanning the UK, Denmark and Germany and developed a methodology for determination of the requirements necessary for an office system to meet pre-defined organisational needs.

He grew HIS’ revenue by winning contract design and development projects with defence (MOD), communications (INMARSAT) and telecoms players (Nortel) in the UK.

[19] As founding managing director, O'Donovan led Cambridge Silicon Radio to establish an early lead in the Bluetooth chip market as a fabless semiconductor company supplying hundreds of global high-volume manufacturers.