The Italian Optical Goods Manufacturers’ Association (Anfao) and the Italian Trade Agency (Ita) took part in Silmo Istanbul 2025 for the first time this year, organizing a group participation to support the internationalization of Italian eyewear companies. With this inaugural presence at Silmo Istanbul, Anfao and Ita announced that they aim to develop a structured market-access strategy for SMEs in the sector by analyzing local commercial dynamics and leveraging the fair, which attracts key distributors. Highlighting Silmo Istanbul as a commercial platform that confirms its strong influence particularly across the Mena and Emea regions, Anfao and Ita underlined that the fair connects new business opportunities with design and innovation. They also noted that the total value of the Turkish eyewear market is estimated at 657 million euros in 2024, with frames standing out as the most dynamic category at approximately 330 million euros in sales, followed by prescription lenses at around 324 million euros. Furthermore, the double-digit growth recorded in Italy’s eyewear exports to Turkey during the first half of 2025 was said to support Italy’s strategy of diversifying exports toward non-traditional markets.

December 2025