Tecnottica is Silver Sponsor at EPIC Technology Meeting on Photonics for Augmented Reality (AR): the Tipping Point at EssilorLuxottica , taking place October 13-14, 2026, in Milan. This sponsorship reflects our commitment to supporting the European photonics community.
EPIC (European Photonics Industry Consortium) is Europe’s leading industry association, bringing together over 800 companies across the full photonics value chain. The AR/VR market represents a critical point for photonics. Unlike traditional laser applications or aerospace systems where photonics have long been established, AR/VR demands a fundamentally different set of optical components: compact, precision-engineered optics that must integrate seamlessly with digital systems while maintaining exacting performance standards. This convergence of photonics, digital systems, and consumer wearables is creating demand for specialized component manufacturers who can bridge technical domains and solve problems that standard suppliers struggle to address.
AR/VR where precision meets Complexity
The AR/VR supply chain places intense demands on optical components. Waveguides, display optics, and optical coatings must achieve unprecedented levels of precision while meeting cost, weight, and thermal performance targets that differ dramatically from aerospace or medical applications. Each component in an AR headset must contribute not just to optical performance, but to the overall user experience: visual clarity, form factor, power consumption, and durability.
“Our expertise in precision optical manufacturing, custom component design, and coating optimization can be applied to the unique demands of AR/VR systems. We believe the capabilities we’ve developed in other technical sectors can contribute to this emerging market. – Said Angelo Fasoli, CSO of Tecnottica. “We have invested significantly in technologies that enable us to produce complex aspheric geometries with minimal defects, apply specialized coatings that withstand high-power optical environments, and deliver components with the metrological documentation that system-level integrators require for qualification and production scaling”.
Tecnottica does not approach AR/VR applications with standard playbooks, we approach each project as a technical challenge. We ask:
- What does the application actually need?
- What tolerances matter, and where can we optimize?
- What coating specifications will improve performance without compromising cost or manufacturability?
This consultative, problem-first approach enables us to tackle complex challenges. In the AR/VR sector, it represents an opportunity to apply and further develop our capabilities in a new market context.
We have invested in metrology tools to measure and control optical surfaces at sub-micron precision; in polishing equipment, using Deterministic Adaptive Polishing Technology (ADAPT), to correct local shape defects in real time, enabling us to achieve lambda/10 and lambda/20 tolerances on complex aspheric geometries. Our coating department, based in Scandicci and brought in-house specifically for quality control, applies specialized optical coatings optimized for the wavelength bands and power densities required by AR display systems.
Collaboration and innovation
The EPIC Technology Meeting hosted by EssilorLuxottica, a global leader in optical and vision technology, brings together the key players shaping AR’s future: device makers like Meta and TCL RayNeo, component innovators like Aledia and SCHOTT, optical integrators, and manufacturing specialists. It is a rare opportunity to witness, in one room, the full ecosystem solving the engineering challenges that stand between laboratory breakthroughs and consumer products.
“Our decision to sponsor this EPIC event represents a genuine commitment to supporting the infrastructure that advances European photonics innovation.- Continue Fasoli. “EPIC’s role in fostering collaboration, and maintaining Europe’s competitive position in global photonics markets aligns with Tecnottica’s long-term strategy.”
This event represents a key opportunity for us to understand the specific challenges of the AR/VR ecosystem and build new partnerships. Our experience in aerospace, medical, and industrial laser applications has taught us what succeeds in complex technical markets. We’re here to learn how these principles apply to AR/VR and to develop meaningful collaborations with industry partners.