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April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

20/20 Europe and Jobson Optical Group Launch European Edition of Most Influential Women in Optical

MIWO Vmail 2020 europe Jobson logos 2026

20/20 Europe and Jobson Optical Group have announced the launch of the Most Influential Women in Optical 2026 – European Edition, extending to Europe an initiative that has recognized women in the U.S. optical industry for more than two decades.

According to the announcement, the European edition will be led by 20/20 Europe, published by Matilde Sometti in Italy. The program follows the long-running U.S. initiative first launched by Vision Monday in 2003 to recognize women in optical whose leadership and achievements have made a meaningful impact across the industry.

The new European program will recognize women working across a wide range of roles in the sector, from eye care professionals and executives to educators, sales ambassadors, and marketing specialists. Finalists will be honoured in five categories: Business Leaders, Mentors, Rising Stars, Founders, and Innovators.

The first European edition will be celebrated at SILMO Paris 2026. The finalists will be announced, and a special luncheon event in their honour will take place on September 25 during the show. A special report featuring the nominees will also appear in the May/June issue of 20/20 Europe and online at 2020europe.com.

“Following the success of the initiative in the US and with a commitment to celebrating women and their ongoing contributions – particularly in the eyewear industry … Jobson Optical Group has been eager to bring this project to Europe,” the announcement stated.

Nominations for the European edition are open through an electronic survey form, with submissions accepted until April 24, 2026. According to the organizers, the program aims to highlight women making a difference across the industry, whether through leadership, mentorship, entrepreneurship or innovation.

Click HERE for the press release.

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April 8, 2026April 8, 2026

Webinar Scheduled About Contrast Management for Myopia Control

Canadian eye care professionals are invited to attend an educational webinar examining the growing evidence base for contrast management as a method for slowing myopia progression in children. On April 15 at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET), SightGlass Vision will host “Unlocking the Power of Contrast Management: Real-World Results with MiSight^® Spectacle Lenses Powered by Diffusion Optics Technology™.”

The session will feature Fabio Carta, Dip. Optom, FBCLA, Director of Professional Affairs at SightGlass Vision, and Dr. Kylvin Ho, Optometrist, FIAOMC, of C U Vision Optometrists in Vancouver, a leading myopia control optometrist.

Canadian eye care professionals interested in attending the webinar can register here.

The webinar will explore how managing contrast works to help control myopia, bridging the underlying science with practical application in clinical care. Carta will introduce eye care professionals to DOT™ spectacle lenses—available in Canada as MiSight^® Spectacle Lenses powered by Diffusion Optics Technology™—the first myopia management treatment specifically designed to reduce retinal contrast signaling through the incorporation of light scattering elements.^[1] He will also review clinical research showing that the lenses can slow myopia progression by up to 75% after 12 months of wear across diverse patient populations.^1,^[2]^*

Dr. Ho will then share real-world clinical cases from his experience prescribing the lenses in practice, providing a peer-to-peer perspective into how the lenses are helping his patients. The session will conclude with a Q&A for attendees.

For more information on the April 15 webinar, visit the registration page.

*Patient population aged 6–10 years (CYPRESS) and 6–13 years (CATHAY). Prescribed DOT lens wear time was 10 hours per day.

^[1] Rappon et al. Control of myopia using diffusion optics spectacle lenses: 12-month results of a randomised controlled, efficacy and safety study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2023;107:1709-1715.

^[2] Laughton et al. Control of myopia using contrast modulation spectacle lenses in a Chinese population: 12-month results. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2025;66(8):2815.

Click HERE for the press release.

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April 7, 2026April 8, 2026

Essilor Launches Crizal Natural Look Coating Focused on Lower Visible Reflections in the US

Essilor has introduced Crizal Natural Look in the US, a new anti-reflective coating designed to make lens reflections less noticeable while maintaining the durability and protection expected from a premium Crizal product.

The new coating is intended to address a common source of wearer dissatisfaction: visible colour reflections on lenses, particularly in social settings, photos and everyday interactions. The company says Crizal Natural Look uses its new Advanced Aesthetics Technology to reduce both the intensity and colour of residual reflections across multiple viewing angles.

“In a world where we connect and capture moments constantly, the way lenses appear on the wearer plays a vital role in how people see and feel,” said Ernesto Diaz, chief marketing officer, North America Professional Solutions at EssilorLuxottica. “Lens reflections remain one of the most visible and frustrating distractions for eyeglass wearers, making the glare reduction of anti-reflective coatings more important than ever.”

Essilor says the new coating was developed after more than two years of research into residual reflection colour in anti-reflective coatings. The company states that the patented technology is designed around three criteria tied to perceived transparency: low light intensity, low colour intensity and high angular colour stability.

“With this breakthrough, we’ve achieved what once seemed impossible: a coating so advanced that reflections virtually disappear,” said Hélène Maury, light management technical leader at EssilorLuxottica. “By mastering the balance of light and color, we deliver lenses that are not only technically superior but also aesthetically almost invisible.”

A panel of optical experts evaluated the coating’s appearance, including eye visibility, mirror effect, skin-tone change and colour neutrality across multiple angles. According to Essilor, experts reported a more natural colour rendering and fewer light-related visual distractions compared with selected other Crizal coatings.

Beyond aesthetics, Crizal Natural Look offers scratch resistance comparable to Crizal Sapphire HR and Crizal Rock, along with the smudge resistance, easy-clean properties and UV protection associated with premium Crizal coatings.

Click HERE for the press release.

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April 6, 2026April 6, 2026

Hoya Vision Care Updates One Vision Sustainability Program and Moves Up Renewable Electricity Target

Hoya Vision Care has released a new Sustainability in Action report updating its One Vision program, the company’s long-term sustainability roadmap launched in 2023. Hoya said the updated plan includes an accelerated target to use 100% renewable electricity across all operations by 2030, moving up its earlier 2040 goal and aligning with the Climate Group’s RE100 initiative.

According to the company, the report outlines progress across the program’s three pillars—environment, community and workplace. Hoya reported a 25% reduction in global carbon emissions versus fiscal 2021, a 36% reduction in supply-chain carbon dioxide emissions since fiscal 2022, 11% less energy used per lens since fiscal 2021, 11.5% less water used since fiscal 2021, and 30% of total energy sourced from renewable electricity in fiscal 2024.

Hoya also highlighted community-based vision care initiatives. The company said its partnership with the REACH Project in India has delivered essential eye care services to more than 85,000 households, while its broader global work includes support for the WHO’s SPECS 2030 initiative and World Sight Day activities through its long-standing partnership with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Looking ahead, Hoya said its updated commitments also include further supply-chain carbon reductions by 2030, lower water use per lens, more recycling initiatives and expanded efforts to improve access to children’s vision care through partnerships with global organizations and local eye care professionals.

Source: Hoya Vision Care

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April 6, 2026April 6, 2026

New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Bill that Would Have Expanded Optometrists’ Laser Scope

Press release communiqué de presse image

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte has vetoed House Bill 349, legislation that would have authorized certified optometrists in the state to perform certain ophthalmic laser procedures. The bill had passed the legislature before being vetoed on March 27, with the veto recorded March 30.

According to the enrolled version of the bill, HB 349 would have allowed optometrists certified by the state board to perform three procedures: laser capsulotomy, laser trabeculoplasty and laser peripheral iridotomy. The measure also set certification conditions tied to education, training, supervised live experience and patient informed consent.

The bill specified that applicants would need to complete a board-approved laser course and demonstrate clinical proficiency under direct supervision. It also required evidence of at least five proctored laser capsulotomy procedures, five laser trabeculoplasty procedures and four laser peripheral iridotomy procedures.

In her veto statement, Ayotte said patients should “receive care delivered by medical professionals trained to perform the full range of procedures that may be required for serious surgeries.” She also said laser eye surgeries are “not minor procedures” and warned that complications can lead to permanent vision loss.

The measure also drew opposition from organized medicine. In an advocacy update published April 3, the American Medical Association said it supported the veto and argued that eye surgery should remain with physicians who have extensive clinical and surgical training.

Had HB 349 become law, New Hampshire would have joined a growing number of states that allow optometrists to perform some laser procedures. Industry coverage of the veto noted that the bill was being closely watched as part of the broader scope-of-practice debate in U.S. optometry.

Sources:
New Hampshire HB 349 bill text and status
Governor Kelly Ayotte statement
AMA advocacy update

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20/20 Europe and Jobson Optical Group Launch European Edition of Most Influential Women in Optical

Webinar Scheduled About Contrast Management for Myopia Control

Essilor Launches Crizal Natural Look Coating Focused on Lower Visible Reflections in the US

Hoya Vision Care Updates One Vision Sustainability Program and Moves Up Renewable Electricity Target

New Hampshire Governor Vetoes Bill that Would Have Expanded Optometrists’ Laser Scope

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