EssilorLuxottica and Politecnico di Milano recently signed an agreement for a smart eyewear laboratory in Milan. The lab in Milan will mainly be host to research and development of the next generation of connected glasses, bringing together the various digital technologies with bioengineering, physics of matter and AI skills. The lab will be well equipped and well funded with an initial investment of over €50 million and will be responsible for the employment of over 100 researchers.
“The agreement with EssilorLuxottica represents a milestone in the development of the ‘Goccia di Bovisa’ area, for several reasons,” said the Rector of Politecnico di Milano, Ferruccio Resta.
“Certainly, the first one is that the University now works alongside an internationally recognized example of excellence, an Italian group that is synonymous with innovation, a great catalyst for other entrepreneurial and research within the innovation district taking shape in the Gasometri area. The second reason relates to the realm in which we will operate: the metaverse, of which we can only guess the possibilities today, is a complex area of study and experimentation, involving technological fields developed within the University: from electronics to photonics, to data science. It opens up unprecedented perspectives that are not limited to technological innovation or the development of new products but reshape entire processes, services and relationships. It is precisely on this basis that the Joint Research Centre will operate over the next five years.”
“Innovation is at the heart of EssilorLuxottica’s business model,” said Francesco Milleri, Chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica. “The lines between physical and virtual worlds are becoming increasingly blurred, outlining completely unprecedented horizons and offering a unique challenge that will propel us into the future. These new models are keys for unlocking an enormous potential of development for the job market and the entire economic system.”
