The Zeiss Vision booth at this year's CIIE.

The optometry unit is a focus at the Zeiss Vision booth.

Part of the Zeiss Vision booth.

The vision care unit of Carl Zeiss AG, a Germany-based optoelectronics manufacturer and global leader in optical systems, is focused on lifelong vision health management in its booth at the ongoing China International Import Expo, providing solutions for people at different ages and in different scenarios — from shortsighted teenagers to presbyopic elderly — in China.

Zeiss Vision China has created two interactive exhibits at the expo — themed "From Morning to Night" and "From Childhood to Old Age".

Visitors have the opportunity to experience the visual sensations facilitated by Zeiss lenses in a variety of scenarios, and the immersive experience allows them to understand that the functionality of glasses varies according to age-related and scenario-related changes.

Peng Wei, head of Zeiss Vision China, said that while the country is highly engaged in the prevention and control of myopia, equal attention should be given to addressing presbyopia, given the aging population.

According to the most recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics, over 600 million Chinese are nearsighted, with a myopia rate among children and teenagers reaching 52.7 percent. Furthermore, the number of individuals aged 65 and over has surpassed 200 million, accounting for 14.2 percent of the nation's population.

Peng said the company's aim, rooted in the century-old technological expertise of Carl Zeiss in the field of optics, is to constantly innovate and enhance the precision of its vision solutions.

Zeiss Vision China cooperated with the eye hospital affiliated with Wenzhou Medical University to initiate research on the technology for the Cylindrical Annular Refractive Elements, or C.A.R.E., in early 2021, and in May 2022 the two parties launched the world's first myopia-management product to utilize that technology: Zeiss MyoCare lenses. The product has received positive feedback from many Chinese families with teenagers and it did not take long for more than 1 million pairs to be sold, according to Zeiss Vision China.

Co-work on research

China's first expert consensus on the application of frame glasses was officially released at the Zeiss booth during the CIIE.Compiled by a large contingent of ophthalmology experts after nearly a year of collaboration, it will provide clinical guidance for optometrists in China on frame glasses solutions and help the accurate and effective application of myopia control products for teenagers.

The consensus is regarded as a significant achievement since the release of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for national eye health.

Also at the Zeiss booth, three professional institutes — the optometric center at Tianjin Eye Hospital, Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University and He Eye Specialist Hospital — presented an interpretation of the mid-term results of a multicenter clinical trial of C.A.R.E. lenses for myopia control. Furthermore, a myopia management clinical research and innovative application base signed between Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Control Center and Zeiss Vision China was unveiled.

Initiated by Zeiss Vision China and jointly drafted with the China National Inspection & Testing Center for Ophthalmic Optic Glass and Enamel Products and Nova Vision, a lens-related group standard was released on the same occasion. The standard is expected to provide product quality assurance for consumers.

Investment for future

Peng said the CIIE provides a good opportunity for Zeiss to communicate with consumers while spotlighting advantageous business and solutions.

"The CIIE gets more exciting every year, showcasing the resilience and vitality of the Chinese economy and injecting confidence and motivation into the development of multinational companies in China," he said.

With a presence in the Chinese market for nearly 30 years, Zeiss Vision China will continue to deepen its local roots and increase investment, contributing to the vision health and better quality of life for the Chinese people, Peng said.

He noted the company has grown from an initial sales company to a high-end optometry industry ecosystem that integrates local research and development, manufacturing, personalized customization, industrial technological innovation and global inspection centers.

China has been Zeiss Vision Care's largest market globally since 2021, and Zeiss Vision China's optical manufacturing base in the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City is its newest and largest high-end customized lens processing center.

In 2021, Zeiss Group's headquarters invested an additional 400 million yuan ($55.03 million) in Zeiss Vision China.

chenhong@chinadaily.com.cn