NEWS

  • OWA announces global connection event at Silmo

    The Optical Women’s Association (OWA) is proud to announce a significant milestone in its international expansion journey with the launch of Start Strong. Powered by the OWA, a global connection event taking place at Silmo Paris 2026 on Saturday, September 26, at 8:30 am CEST.

  • Oliver Fischbach elected president of EUROM Optical Industries

    The European optical industry has a new president: Oliver Fischbach, Senior Vice President of Western Europe & North America at Hoya Vision Care and a representative of Spectaris, was elected president of the European umbrella organization at the General Assembly of EUROM 1 Optical Industries in Naples.

  • The Vision Council guides optical industry through new U.S. tariff changes

    The Vision Council is helping members navigate yet another shift in U.S. trade policy. The existing Section 122 tariffs that had assessed a 10% duty on imports expired Friday, July 24, resulting in the Trump Administration imposing new tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 for 60 economies over alleged forced-labor violations.

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ISSUE 04/2026

Overview

Special: Eyewear Worldwide: Five facts about eyeglasses around the world // GoodVision: “The world would be a good deal fairer and better” // Transitions: Breaking out of the niche // Live on Site: DigiCON 2026: Schneider explores the future of autonomous manufacturing // Technology: Empowering labs // Interview: Oculomics: “Eye health is general health” // Business: The customer is not a data point // Survey: Spin hard coating // Dip hard coating

FEATURED ARTICLES

  • Transitions: Breaking out of the niche

    Over the past years, Transitions Optical has undergone a significant product and brand evolution. Over the course of five years, the company produced approximately 450 prototypes and conducted more than 100,000 tests to lay a solid foundation for the next generation of Transitions lenses. Today, they come in many vibrant colors and even with dynamic polarization. This required not just a manufacturing facility, but an innovation center – which MAFO visited in Ireland.

  • Empowering labs

    Until recently, block-less free-form lens production was widely perceived as a technology reserved for innovators – an advanced but not yet universally trusted alternative to traditional alloy-based processes. However, as recently pointed out by several market players, 2026 marks a decisive turning point. Will the future of lens production be block-free?

  • Oculomics: “Eye health is general health”

    The eye as a gateway to overall health, and AI as an assistive technology: in this interview with MAFO, Dr. Norbert Gorny, Chief Scientific Officer at EssilorLuxottica, shares his perspective on where optometry and eye care are headed and about the opportunities and limitations of Oculomics.

  • The customer is not a data point

    A sales manager recently said, “Our people are much faster these days. But I am not sure if they are also better listeners.” There is a lot of talk in sales right now about AI – about conversation summaries, chatbots, quote templates, automated follow-up emails, and systems that assess how promising a lead is. Much of this saves time, and some processes do actually improve as a result. But a customer should not be reduced to just a case number in the process.

  • DigiCON 2026

    In June, machine manufacturer Schneider Optical Machines hosted its well-known in-house trade show, DigiCON. In addition to showcasing innovations, the machine manufacturer also provided answers to important questions – such as whether Schneider is embracing the blockless trend or how realistic fully autonomous “lights-off” production is for the future.

  • GoodVision: “The world would be a good deal fairer and better”

    To this day, people – especially in the Global South – still lack access to even the most basic vision aids, eye exams, and more. One organization working to address this problem is GoodVision. MAFO has spoken with founder Martin Aufmuth about why basic care is still lacking and how this affects education and social participation.

NEWS

  • A new framework for low vision care in Ghana’s Ashanti region

    The joint “Low Vision” project between Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana has established a three-tiered care system for people with visual impairments in the Ashanti Region

  • EssilorLuxottica opens new R&D center in Thailand

    EssilorLuxottica announced the opening of a new R&D center in Lat Krabang, Thailand, designed to accelerate how it develops, scales, and delivers the next generation of vision care solutions, wearables and medical technologies.

  • President for Silmo d’Or announced

    For this new edition of the Silmo d’Or, Silmo Paris has entrusted the presidency of its jury to Joachim Froment, an industrial designer and creative director based in Brussels.

  • NAO members approve initial steps toward UOA merger

    The National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) and the United Opticians Association (UOA)
    announced that the NAO Fellow Members, and the UOA Board of Directors, each voted to
    authorize the beginning of the formal merger or asset-transfer process between the two organizations.

  • Obituary: Dr. Mo Jalie

    It is with deep sadness that we must announce the passing of our long-time author, Dr. Mo Jalie. For decades, Mo shaped the optical industry and education– as an professor, author, consultant, and speaker.