EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyewear maker, said on June 16 that it signed a long-term agreement with Applied Materials to develop augmented reality optics for next-generation smart glasses.

The partnership also aims to accelerate the transition from research and development to large-scale manufacturing.

Applied Materials is a California-based supplier of semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The companies said the work will focus on advanced optical technologies, including waveguides, adaptive lens systems, materials innovation, and lens encapsulation.

EssilorLuxottica will conduct joint research at a dedicated lab on Applied Materials’ Silicon Valley campus.

Applied Materials’ role builds on its existing augmented reality display work.

In a separate collaboration tied to the RayNeo X3 Pro smart glasses, it said it improved optical efficiency by 25% and suppressed rainbow artifacts by 95% in a waveguide.

The partnership comes as EssilorLuxottica expands its smart eyewear business with Meta.

EssilorLuxottica said it sold more than 7 million AI glasses in 2025 across Ray-Ban and Oakley, and it also introduced a Ray-Ban model with a small display in one lens.

🔗 Source: Reuters

Recent EssilorLuxottica developments