(PRESS RELEASE) CHARENTON-LE-PONT, FRANCE – Essilor has been named by Forbes as one of the world’s 100 “Most Innovative Companies” for 2018, ranked 52nd; a marked increase compared to 2017 (68th). Every year since 2010, Essilor has figured among the top 100 publicly traded companies identified by investors as having the highest innovation potential.
Innovation has been at the core of Essilor’s identity since the Group’s creation, underpinning the Group’s mission of improving lives by improving sight. The 2017 launch of the Varilux X series progressive lens is a prime example of the Group’s consumer-centered innovation capabilities. It represents years of collaboration between researchers, engineers, physiologists, sociologists, and consumers to answer visual needs and lifestyles of consumers worldwide. In 2018, the announcement with Johnson & Johnson Vision of the first photochromic contact lens featuring Transitions Light-Intelligent Technology is another breakthrough, addressing the unmet needs of contact lens wearers.
“Innovation has always been a cornerstone of our mission and our strategy”, said Laurent Vacherot, President and Chief Operating Officer of Essilor. “As an industry leader, we believe it is our company’s duty to continue pushing the boundaries of optical solutions that can correct and protect people’s vision everywhere. We have evolved our innovation processes to reflect the world today – networked, collaborative, and creative – in order to meet the changing lifestyles of existing eyeglass wearers and respond to the vast, unmet vision needs of 2.5 billion people living with uncorrected poor vision.”
In line with its ambition to eradicate poor vision within one generation, Essilor is today committed to tackling myopia, one of healthcare’s largest challenges for the future, which is expected to affect nearly half of the world’s population (5 billion people) by 2050. As the science of myopia is still young and awareness low, Essilor is working with scientific partners, health and vision care professionals to improve understanding about myopia and to find innovative solutions that will help myopic people live better and slow down its progression.