A revolution in the vision care industry is set to take place with the AUD$22 million extension of the Vision CRC for a further five years. This will consolidate Australia’s position as a world leader in vision research and technology, according to Vision CRC CEO, Professor Brien Holden.
Professor Holden believes that the five-year extension of the Vision CRC presents not only an opportunity to deliver revolutionary products with the capability to solve vision problems for billions, but is also an important long-term investment in Australia’s capacity in breakthrough research and our economic future.
The extended Vision CRC will conduct four separate programs to deliver a range of benefits for not only Australia, but the rest of the world, in the areas of vision correction, understanding of ocular health and vision care delivery to indigenous Australians and developing communities worldwide.
“We are poised to make a major contribution to the development of solutions to serious vision care and public health problems, tackling the most enduring vision care problems of our time – myopia, presbyopia, eye care delivery for developing communities and ocular and contact lens comfort,” says Professor Holden.
“We aim to free people from significant vision impairment and eye health problems, improve their quality of life and, as a consequence, deliver productivity gains for Australia and global business. In the process, the Vision CRC extension will also create a permanent, self-funded Australian technology hub for future product development and manufacture”.
It is estimated that the number of people affected by myopia (short-sightedness) in the world will grow from 1.6 billion now to a staggering 2.5 billion by 2020. It affects 3.5 million Australians, often occurring in childhood, meaning a lifelong need for eye care, and increases the risk of developing serious vision threatening conditions
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