EssilorLuxottica Partners With Fondazione Chips-IT to Accelerate Smart Eyewear Development

PARIS—EssilorLuxottica has announced that it is partnering with Fondazione Chips-IT, Italy’s research center specializing in advanced integrated-circuit design. The collaboration aims to further strengthen the group’s position in smart eyewear “by advancing application-specific chip development within Chips-IT’s open-hardware environment, unlocking new levels of customization, optimization and performance,” the announcement stated. By working closely with Chips-IT engineers and select industry partners, EssilorLuxottica advised that it will seek to deliver enhanced capabilities while elevating the next generation of wearables. In making the announcement, the company also advised that it plans to release select components of its wearable platforms as open-source hardware.