EssilorLuxottica signs for majority stake in Heidelberg Engineering

EssilorLuxottica has signed an agreement to acquire an 80% stake in Heidelberg Engineering.

Heidelberg Engineering will continue to serve the market under its “well-established” brand, the companies said in a statement.

The acquisition is expected to close in the second half of the year, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Francesco Milleri, chairman and chief executive officer, and Paul du Saillant, deputy chief executive officer, at EssilorLuxottica, commented: “Heidelberg Engineering, renowned for its expertise in early detection and diagnosis, is a perfect fit for EssilorLuxottica as it will bolster our presence in the med-tech space.”

The executives emphasised EssilorLuxottica’s commitment to fostering the long-term growth of Heidelberg Engineering, while enhancing the experiences of practitioners and patients.

Heidelberg Engineering was founded in 1990 by Dr Gerhard Zinser and Christoph Schoess. The company now has a presence in more than 100 countries.

Heidelberg Engineering has expertise in optical coherence tomography, real-time image processing and analytics, large-scale data analysis and digital surgical navigation.

Schoess, co-founder and managing director of Heidelberg Engineering, said of the agreement: “We are delighted that EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in eye care, embraces our vision for creating a shared care system spanning from research to home monitoring. Together, we are strongly positioned to significantly advance patient care and improve clinical outcomes.”

Reflecting on the 35 years of Heidelberg Engineering to-date, he said: “Our mission has always been to develop products that provide comprehensive, accurate, and clinically relevant information to aid ophthalmologists in achieving better outcomes for their patients.”

“Our future goals include enhancing image quality through higher resolution, expanding the applications of imaging technologies, and integrating AI solutions into the growing Heyex Healthcare IT platform,” he continued.