EssilorLuxottica hosted its inaugural SWITCH: Vision Innovation Summit for the Americas in Orlando from March 9-11, bringing together more than 1,000 doctors, scientists, academics, entrepreneurs and cultural figures to examine how artificial intelligence, medical science and wearable technology are converging to reshape vision care and healthcare. Attendees navigated keynote talks, immersive product demonstrations, workshops and curated networking sessions focused on elevating the discussion around innovation in eye health. Award-winning actress Jane Lynch, artificial intelligence pioneer Dr. Rana el Kaliouby and NBA champion J.R. Smith joined global experts to frame vision care as a foundation for broader human health and sensory wellness.
Sessions highlighted the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence powered smart eyewear, particularly glasses co-developed with Meta that are shifting from basic features to all day companions for capturing experiences, accessing information and supporting daily life while remaining fashionable. Neuroscience focused segments outlined how brain driven technologies and EssilorLuxottica research could lead to eyewear that instantly adapts to each wearer’s visual sensitivity and to medical tools that use neural markers of perception and cognition for precision medicine. Scientific tracks on oculomics described how advanced imaging and artificial intelligence are being used to detect systemic diseases such as diabetes and neurological disorders through retinal data, positioning eye care professionals as key players in preventive healthcare. Experts also examined the global rise of myopia in children and discussed myopia management strategies, emphasizing Stellest® lenses and new artificial intelligence driven personalization based on real world behavioral data and digital modeling.
Panels on presbyopia explored how digital lifestyles accelerate near vision strain and how Varilux® and modern progressive lenses, combined with artificial intelligence driven personalization, are reshaping the experience for consumers. The program broadened to include integrated vision and hearing solutions, with Jane Lynch sharing her hearing story to spotlight sensory wellness and the role of wearables in maintaining connection and quality of life. Additional sessions looked at how iconic brands, design and storytelling accelerate adoption of health innovations, while a SWITCH Experience Center and clinical workshops provided hands on exposure to next generation diagnostics, wearable technologies, oculomics, artificial intelligence driven diagnostics and myopia care. In a closing keynote, Dr. Rana el Kaliouby outlined a future for human centric artificial intelligence that combines emotionally intelligent systems with wearables to expand healthcare access. EssilorLuxottica framed SWITCH as a milestone in its effort to evolve eyewear into a central platform for healthcare, connectivity and human potential, and plans to turn the summit into an annual global forum, with upcoming editions for EMEA and Asia scheduled in Monaco.
The company positioned SWITCH within its broader scale and portfolio, noting that with over 200,000 employees across 150 countries, 600 operations facilities, serving 300,000 eye care professionals and operating 18,000 stores, the Group generated consolidated revenue of Euro 28.5 billion in 2025. EssilorLuxottica, which trades on Euronext Paris and is part of the Euro Stoxx 50 and CAC 40 indices, highlighted its mix of lens technologies such as Varilux, Stellest and Transitions, consumer brands including Ray-Ban and Oakley, and smart eyewear products such as Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta Vanguard and Nuance Audio as the foundation for turning insights from SWITCH into mainstream products. The company emphasized that SWITCH is intended to expand the vision care industry into new clinical and technological frontiers while improving long term patient outcomes, with a virtual webcast for professionals across the Americas set for April 2 at 12:30pm ET and an EMEA and Asia summit planned for April 13-15, 2026 in Monaco.
