Opti Forum discusses the future

Within optics, digitisation and the growth of online services are often talked about as if they represent the start of the sector’s demise, an inevitable consequence of changing technologies. However, the discussion at the Opti Forum in Munich last month sought to rework that narrative and determine the extent to which ‘traditional’ opticians can take advantage of the move online.

Anna Nagl, dean of vision science and business at Aalen University, presented a talk on the ‘effects of digitisation on purchasing behaviour’ to a packed hall at the Opti Forum. She examined where certain types of customers currently bought their glasses and where they would do so in future.