DOSSIER Training & technology: How are they shaping the future of optics?
The optical industry is constantly evolving, and the glass and eyewear professionals of the future will need to adapt to new technologies and skills to meet the changing needs of their customers. Training and the use of technology play a vital role in preparing the next generation of optical experts. This report offers you an overview of the trends and developments that will, or are already, shaping the future of these professions.
Optical Training and Technology: Staying at the Forefront of the Industry
In the optical sector, continuing education is essential to enable glassmakers and eyewear manufacturers to both remain competitive and adapt to the constant evolution that the optical industry can represent. Technological advances as well as new trends in visual health require regular updating of skills and knowledge.
Glassmakers and eyewear manufacturers must familiarize themselves with the latest technological advances in the design and manufacture of eyewear. This includes learning computer-aided design (CAD) software, precision measuring equipment and advanced lens mounting techniques. On the other hand, the diversification of skills is becoming increasingly crucial. Some professionals opt for specialized training in areas such as contact lenses, low vision, advanced contactology, neuro-optometry… This allows them to meet specific customer needs and broaden their field of expertise.
But technical skills are not the only ones that need to evolve. Business management, customer service, design, trends, ethical and environmental needs… All these elements are likely to significantly change the jobs of those involved in the optical sector.
In short, continuous training and specialization are fundamental pillars for the glass and eyewear manufacturers of the future. This allows them to remain competitive in a rapidly changing market and to meet the varied and complex needs of customers, while being sensitive to technological developments, market trends and social concerns.
Rapid evolution of optical technology
In a highly competitive sector, technological developments play a crucial role in how glassmakers and eyewear manufacturers will shape their expertise and professional practice.
Thus, high-precision measuring tools, such as automated refractometers and corneal topographers, which allow for more accurate and faster assessment of visual defects and eye shape, are constantly evolving. Computer-aided design (CAD) software, which gives glassmakers and eyewear manufacturers the ability to create custom frames based on specific customer needs , such as 3D printing , are widely changing the way we buy frames.
Furthermore, the integration of augmented reality into everyday life is unlikely in the future. Thus, new generation glasses (smart glasses ) could, in the near future, be among the essentials on opticians' shelves or could even assist them in their work in order to personalize the customer experience.
Among the most incredible innovations, there remain those surrounding the development of more advanced lenses, such as digital progressive lenses and photochromic lenses with a rapid transition between tints. Smart contact lenses are also at the forefront of R&D to offer ever more incredible features.
In short, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies allows glassmakers and eyewear manufacturers to improve the precision, customization and efficiency of their services. These tools allow them to meet the specific needs of customers, while remaining at the forefront of the latest technological advances in the optical industry.
One day, 100% customizable?
The boom in telemedicine and mobility
Telemedicine and teleoptometry are revolutionizing access to optical care, offering a new dimension to eye health services. Still deeply criticized, it is initiating a debate between pros and cons that we will not attempt to resolve here. However, remote consultations have allowed patients who have difficulty getting around or who live in medical deserts to consult an eye care professional.
This approach therefore contributes to improving accessibility, even if the solution is not perfect. However, it will certainly be one of the elements that will shape the near future of optics because it promotes rapid diagnosis and follow-up.
In the same vein, mobile professionals have seen their services widely requested in recent years. It will undoubtedly be necessary to count on opticians who go directly to customers as this new way of working facilitates the response to certain issues such as distance or sedentarization .
These services will again require a need for training linked to evolving technology.
And what about eco-responsibility in all this?
Sustainability and eco-responsibility have become crucial aspects in many fields, from which the optical industry does not escape, reflecting a growing concern for the environment. Behaviours need to change and consequently, the value of work also stands out in this way.
In this context, frame manufacturers use recycled or sustainable materials, such as bio-based plastics, wood from responsible sources or recyclable metals, in order to try to reduce the carbon footprint of eyewear production. These new ways of working are part of a more global program that aims to respect ethical and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) charters. The way of working is therefore transformed into substance and these contributions are part of the concerns of professionals.
Design, improved recycling programs, flexible working hours… everything is linked in order to propose an approach that makes sense and that does not consist only of moving towards greenwashing .
Training and technology: anticipating the dangers of change
Finally, and this is where we will end this report, all these changes related to training and technology will require significant anticipation of the risks that all these advances will generate. As in all areas, there are almost as many risks as opportunities, to which we will have to try to provide a response.
For example, effective data management and a well-maintained customer relationship will prove essential to offer quality optical services and improve the customer experience. Customer data analysis will offer both a personalized experience but will need to be supervised to avoid any risk of intrusion. Training and technological developments will improve skills but also risk reinforcing inequalities between generations.
Telemedicine, which offers a diversification of activity, can largely, due to the high costs of the necessary equipment, leave some professionals unable to offer it, and the desire to offer a 100% responsible offer must be careful not to leave aside a more disadvantaged target clientele.
In short, training and technology in optics are set to transform the sector in depth, so much so that the future looks exciting and thrilling. This future is already underway or is drawing trends that will require questioning, a willingness to innovate and egalitarian approaches.
