For the 5th year in a row, Essilor has been listed in Forbes magazine’s annual list of ‘The World’s Top 100 Most Innovative Companies’. This global recognition underlines Essilor’s strategy of putting innovation at the heart of its growth ambition.
For more than 165 years, Essilor’s scope of innovation has grown considerably without compromising its original core business of ophthalmic optics. Credited with breakthroughs that have left their mark in the world of optics such as progressive, organic and photochromic organic lenses, the Essilor Group is a pioneer when it comes to delivering its mission of improving lives by improving sight.
“Innovation is part of our DNA and a key driver in our business of providing solutions to a fundamental human need: good vision. Being close to customers and eye care professionals all around the world allows us to identify vision needs, anticipate vision solutions and thus better answer the correction, protection and prevention needs of every individual. Our teams’ commitment in improving technologies and access to quality vision care is central to our mission, our growth and to the industry’s evolution, in the benefit of eye health.” said Jean Carrier, Chief Operating Officer of Essilor International who oversees the Group’s innovation related activities.
In the Philippines, Essilor is one of the strongest proponents of good vision. Aside from providing Filipinos with the most advanced ophthalmic lenses and solutions, the company has been consistently promoting awareness on the importance of good vision through its “Seeing the World Better” campaign. Essilor Philippines has also been conducting a series of medical missions conducted in partnership with several local organizations to provide free eye screening, checkups and eyeglasses to underprivileged Filipinos suffering from visual impairments.
One of the keys to Essilor‘s innovation is the Group’s strong network of resources and expertise. Essilor has five Research & Development centers amongst which three Centers for Innovation and Technologies (CI&T), uniting Research, Engineering and Marketing teams in Créteil (close to Paris, France), Dallas (USA) and Singapore. The Group also operates a photochromic technology center (Transitions) in Pinnelas Park (USA) and a joint research center with Nikon (NEIJRC) in Japan. Another driver of innovation is the wide network of research and collaborative partnerships with around 100 agreements signed with universities, public and private sector laboratories and industrial companies. Essilor allocates more than €180 million to research and innovation every year and currently holds 7,200 patents and 40% of its revenue is generated by products less than 4 years old.