Rodenstock

German optical expertise and engineering have been synonymous with Rodenstock since 1877. Could you share the company’s enduring core values with our readers?
Rodenstock embraces three enduring core values: trust, innovation and care. Rodenstock builds trust through collaboration, transparency and open-mindedness. We reinforce this trust by delivering consistent, high-quality products and keeping our promises to the end consumer. For us, innovation means striving for excellence and breaking new ground. Through innovation, Rodenstock strives to challenge the status quo and seek new solutions that go beyond current performance. Our last enduring core principle is caring, which for us means fostering a culture of respect, appreciation and responsibility. As an company, we are committed to respecting and treating every individual fairly. The most important goal of our company is to create our products to consistently meet the highest quality and standards in order to offer better vision to the whole world. These values guide Rodenstock’s mission to provide superior visual precision and comfort, and our vision to deliver unique biometrically enhanced vision experiences worldwide.

Through innovations such as the DNEye® Scanner and DNEye® Pro, what contributions has Rodenstock made to the global lens production industry, and what promises does it hold for users?
Rodenstock’s innovations, such as the DNEye® Scanner and DNEye® Pro, have significantly contributed to the global lens production industry by introducing advanced biometric technology to lens manufacturing. Rodenstock’s introduction the concept of Biometric Precision to the optical industry with the development of the DNEye® Scanner. The DNEye® Scanner measures over 7,000 data points of the eye, including its length, curvature, and refractive power. This data enables the creation of biometric lenses tailored to the individual’s unique eye structure, setting a new standard in lens customization. DNEye® Pro, on the other hand, refers a revolution in lens design. Rodenstock uses biometric data to create the DNEye® Pro lenses, which account for factors such as pupil size under various lighting conditions. This approach enhances the precision of lens designs compared to traditional methods. The integration of Rodenstock’s cutting-edge technology into the lens production process has streamlined manufacturing, reduced errors, and ensured consistently high-quality products.

Could you share details about your product portfolio, which you’ve unveiled with the philosophy ‘B.I.G. Vision™ For All’, and how these products differ from previous ones?
Rodenstock’s innovations embody the future of ophthalmic optics with its med-tech approach, combining technology, data analytics, and user-centric design. Our products portfolio serves the demands of all age groups. At this point, I would like to emphasize that in Turkey we offer Impression B.I.G Norm, Multigressive B.I.G Norm and Progressive B.I.G Norm in progressive, near vision and single vision lenses, from the B.I.G. Vision™ product portfolio. The most distinctive feature that distinguishes these products from their predecessors is the Artificial Intelligence Powered lenses in the B.I.G Norm portfolio. This is because it combines AI data analysis in real time with Rodenstock’s own algorithm “Approximate Biometric Eye Model” and conflates it with the user’s prescription to provide the most user-centered design lens. In this way, Rodenstock promises users lenses that are uniquely crafted for their eyes, an unparalleled visual experience and greater satisfaction. In addition, biometric lenses provide users with up to 40% sharper vision, especially in peripheral areas, compared to conventional lenses. They enhance depth perception and improve focus across all distances. B.I.G Norm personalized lenses reduce visual fatigue and ensure better adaptation, even for first-time wearers. They address specific needs like night vision challenges or dynamic viewing in multifocal lenses.

Why have Myopia Management lenses become so popular in recent years? What solutions set Rodenstock apart from other lens manufacturers in this area?
By 2050, it is projected that nearly half of the world’s population will be myopic, making interventions increasingly necessary. This trend is driven by lifestyle changes, increased screen time, reduced outdoor activities, and a deeper understanding of the long-term health risks associated with myopia, such as retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataracts. Rodenstock’s Unique Solutions in Myopia Management is called MyCon. Rodenstock MyCon are designed to project light onto the retina in a way that controls peripheral defocus, a key factor in slowing myopia progression. This advanced optical design reduces the stimuli for axial elongation of the eye. Studies have demonstrated that the lenses can reduce the progression of myopia by 40%, depending on the treatment protocol. Beyond lenses, Rodenstock promotes a holistic approach, incorporating advice on lifestyle changes (e.g., increased outdoor activities and reduced screen time) to support myopia control. MyCon lenses are lightweight, durable, and available with protective coatings such as blue light filters and UV protection to address modern visual challenges.

Could you tell us about Rodenstock’s projects for 2025 and its global plans for the near future?
After a successful 2024, Rodenstock will continue to work tirelessly to make sure our products and solutions are being accessible around the globe. Rodenstock remains committed to advancing its lens technology. With B.I.G. VISION™ lenses as its flagship lens technology, representing a paradigm shift in lens design by recognizing the unique biometric parameters of each eye, we will not stop here but challenge ourselves to the next level of AI lens evolution! Rodenstock plans to unveil next level B.I.G. Exact™ Sensitive in Mido 2025, the world’s first spectacle lenses optimized for individual visual sensitivity and biometry. It’s the next generation lens of the highly precise B.I.G Exact Lens which is possible with only DNEye® Scanner machine providing the sharpest and unmatched biometric precision. Now with B.I.G. Exact™ Sensitive, Rodenstock have leveraged their extensive knowledge, experience, and data to delve deeper into understanding visual sensitivity which helps your brain & vision coordination to see more of the world. Other technological advancements in diverse areas can also be expected!

With the change in your distributor partnership in Türkiye what innovations and contributions do you aim to bring to the Turkish optical industry and optical stores?
We decided that our best business partner in the new distributor change in Türkiye would be Cemfa Optik. Cemfa, an optical family business, has been manufacturing and importing spectacle lenses in this sector for over 38 years. We saw that they organized really good, detailed trainings for both ophthalmologists and opticians on optics in the name of the profession. Since the team is quite experienced and well-informed, we believed that they would tell our B.I.G Vision products to opticians in the best way possible and all these happend in short time. We have a very good cooperation in Türkiye I hope we will be together with Cemfa for many years. We want to offer more technology, new products and training opportunities to the Turkish optical sector together with Cemfa. Our work on this subject continues without letup.

With your sectoral experience particularly on the Asia-Pacific region, how would you evaluate the current state and near future of the Turkish optical industry?
The Turkish optical market is a developing market. Every year millions of people become presbyopic in this country. The demographic structure of the country is getting older. The rate of using lenses is increasing every year. We believe that Rodenstock lenses deserve a better place in this market. Turkey is geographically very close to Europe. As Rodenstock, we distribute lenses that we produce with superior technology and send them more quickly to Turkey.

You attended the 11th Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, held in collaboration with Silmo. How would you describe your experience at Silmo Istanbul, its growth over the years, and the value it brings to the industry?
It was my first time at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair. I was truely impressed by Silmo Istanbul. The fairground, the quality of the stands and the energy of the fair was quite high with the presence of all the leading quality companies in the sector. I believe that it would be very appropriate to organize more events for opticians to show interest in the fair. It is also very important that the fair strengthens the support it has started to give to open sessions and sector trainings. I think that better representation of opticianry students at the fair will be a valuable support for the Turkish optical sector. I wish the Silmo Istanbul team success in the new fairs.

January 2025