Lens maker has farsighted vision

Head of Essilor talks about forthcoming tech advancement, including a smartphone app that can detect eye problems

The most earth-shattering news in the eyewear market recently is undoubtedly the merger announced in early 2017 between French lens maker Essilor and the Italian eyewear frame maker Luxottica - both the industry No 1 in their respective sectors.

By mid-December 2017, European Union antitrust regulators were set to clear the 46 billion euro ($56.6 billion) merger without asking for concessions. The deal would create a company that makes products from Ray-Bans to Giorgio Armani frames and has its own major eyeglass retail outlets.