Adlens®, the global leader in variable focus eyewear, wins the bronze for the category Lifestyle & Social Impact at the prestigious Edison Awards. The winning product is Emergensee which achieved the third place.
The Edison Awards, named after American inventor and businessman Thomas Alva Edison, is a prestigious program lead by the non-profit organization Edison Universe, that globally recognizes and honours some of the most innovative new products, services and business leaders in order to create a positive impact in the world. This competition is based on four important criteria: Concept, Value, Delivery and Impact. There are 14 categories with a number of sub-categories with a total of 131 finalists for 2013. Previous winners include Microsoft, Sony, Nike, Disney, Vodafone, McLaren Mercedes and Apple.
Along with Thompson Reuters, Procter & Gamble, Boeing and Logitech, Adlens® has reached the finals with two products: The John Lennon™ Collection and Emergensee™. According to the Edison Awards Committee, they perfectly satisfy all four criteria and have been classified in the Lifestyle & Social Impact category thanks to their social commitment. In fact, variable focus eyewear reduces time and costs associated with traditional lens laboratories and this is a particular advantage for developing countries. Moreover, through its Buy One Give One program, for every pair of Fluid-Injection glasses purchased Adlens® donates a pair to someone in the developing world. Fluid-Injection technology can change the way healthcare is traditionally delivered, allowing universal access to improved vision.
Winners were announced during an exclusive ceremony, followed by a gala dinner in the prestigious 80-foot, domed Grand Ballroom at historic Navy Pier.
Dr Graeme MacKenzie comments: “It is a honor for me to receive the Edison Bronze award for variable focus eyewear on behalf of the entire team at Adlens. This award is a wonderful validation of the beliefs espoused by our co-founder, James Chen: that the commercialization of innovative technologies holds tremendous potential to bring about social transformation.”
This event includes a full program of activities during the day of the ceremony bringing together innovators at the forefront of their fields, to share ideas and experience Adlens® Director of Industry Affairs, Dr Graeme MacKenzie was invited to take part in the program as part of the Meet the Innovators Forum. Dr MacKenzie joined Walter B. Herbst, Director/Professor, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University, James Robinson, Director, Strategy, Evaluation & Research, Rotary International, Geof Rochester, Chief Marketing Officer, The Nature Conservancy, to discuss the topic ‘Social Innovation: A New Framework for Innovators to Create Solutions with Sustainable Impact’.
Adlens® products were also displayed and demonstrated amongst the other finalists’ at the Innovators’ Showcase which took place on the eve of the gala and throughout the day of the ceremony.
