Assessing imports vs domestic goods is a common practice, yet we don't base our judgments on countries, but rather on their functions.
Sipping on the Eyewear Revolution: A Deep Dive into the Spectacle Optics Market
Welcome, folks! Today, we're diving headfirst into the fascinating world of spectacle optics. Since its birth in the early 20th century, this industry has been a playground for giants — European, Asian, and American powerhouses dominating the landscape. But there's more to the game than meets the eye, as we'll uncover.
Local Champions: The Unsung Heroes
In the heart of Yekaterinburg, a success story began almost 30 years ago. Glasses For You, a local manufacturer, cranks out spectacle optics on its very own factory, and sells them through a sprawling network of salons in the Sverdlovsk region and partnerships across Russia. You can find ODV lenses in 756 opticians in an impressive 176 cities scattered throughout the country.
Clarity Ahead: Market Analysis and Glimpses into Technology
DK.RU, tagging along with Mikhail Feigin, the co-owner and CEO of Glasses For You, embarked on a quest to decipher the spectacle optics market in Russia and around the globe.
These days, the world is a-buzz with eye correction; roughly 35% of the population needs it, and that number's on the rise, nudging towards 50%. Myopia is a modern-day pandemic, particularly common in Asia, although Russia's no stranger to the condition. Correcting vision issues is a top priority in the optics industry.
Kids and adolescents account for a quarter of the clientele, and the over-45 age group grapples with age-related farsightedness. So, what's the state of the spectacle optics market?
- Optics salons reign supreme in the market. Online transition's been a sluggish affair for this sector. Three primary reasons explain this:
- Customized vision solutions demand professional advice, which optics salons provide, boasting licenses for optometry and ophthalmology.
- Mass-produced lenses and frames might make their way onto the marketplace and workshops, but individual lenses are an entirely different story. Crafted specifically for a particular frame, with personal parameters taken into account, they offer higher quality vision.
- Internet or not, individual lenses cannot be ordered online. Their magical touch only works when expert eyes — not algorithms — are involved.
Powerhouses with a Pedigree
Brands with a storied history dominate the market— ZEISS, Rodenstock, Essilor, Johnson & Johnson, Alcon, CooperVision leading the charge in spectacle lenses and contact lenses, respectively. The industry's known for its heavyweight players, but time has allowed room for nimble underdogs honing in on individual lens production.
Co-existing Beasts: How Small Fish Survive in a Big Pond
It's not "foreign-made" vs. "domestic-made" anymore. The focus should be on functionality and technological prowess, not historical pedigree. In essence, the global market of spectacle lenses consists of two parts: mass-produced and individual. While there's a stereotype that foreign brands are superior, their individual, locally-made counterparts can outshine them.
Optics 101: Decoding Lenses
First-glance, all lenses may look the same. But peek closer, and hey presto, they're completely different! Different optical designs, surface geometries, and fields of clear vision can lead to stark contrasts.
- Monofocal lenses, with a single focus, help see up close or far away.
- Multifocal lenses, boasting multiple zones of varying optical power, assist in near and far vision. In simpler terms, one lens might correct myopia and hypermetropia simultaneously.
Complexity Unveiled: Behind the Scenes of Lens Manufacturing
Lens production is a complex, high-tech process requiring surface processing accuracy to the hundredths of a diopter and dabbling in nanotechnology for anti-reflective coatings. After an individual optical design, strengthening, anti-reflective, water-repellent, and oil-repellent coatings are applied to the surface of the lens.
The most basic material for lens production is CR-39 (refractive index 1.49), but advances have led to materials like those from Mitsui Chemicals (refractive indices 1.6, 1.67, and 1.74). Developments continuously push the envelope, bringing new designs, mathematical models, and surface calculations that improve the final product.
Eyes on the R&D Horizon: Future of the Spectacle Optics Market
Artificial Intelligence is muscling its way into production processes, heralding a new era for spectacle optics. For instance, Glasses For You's developed an innovative device that performs all necessary measurements for producing an individual lens, called ODV Glazomer, offering a swanky alternative to folksy measuring tools.
As the industry dives deeper into AI, new lens surface designs, cutting-edge coatings, surface processing equipment, and materials are on the horizon, promising a brighter future for the spectacle optics market.
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I'm not sure, but it seems that advances in technology could potentially have an impact on various aspects of health-and-wellness, such as medical-conditions like myopia or age-related farsightedness. For instance, Artificial Intelligence is being incorporated into the production processes of spectacle optics, leading to new lens designs, materials, and surface calculations. This could potentially improve the final product and make vision correction more accessible. Moreover, the focus in the spectacle optics industry is shifting towards functionality and technological prowess over historical pedigree, which could open up opportunities for finance and business investments in smaller, nimble companies specializing in individual lens production.
