Did you know?
- ZEISS launched the world’s first planetarium in 1923 on the roof of a ZEISS factory in Germany. Today, more than 80 million people a year worldwide visit a planetarium with ZEISS optics.
- ZEISS is a regular customer at the patent office, registering approximately 400 inventions every year!
- ZEISS optics helped produce your car… For precision measurement and analytics, car manufacturers worldwide rely on the Industrial Metrology technology of ZEISS.
- Volcanoes can spout glass… In 2011, a ZEISS electron microscope revealed minuscule volcanic glass particles within ash particles.
- ZEISS optics were instrumental in Pluto’s discovery with the introduction of the ZEISS blink comparator.
- ZEISS has the most innovative dispensing technology, which can measure the human eye with an accuracy of one hundredth of a dioptre. That’s the i.Scription technology at work.
- Every second, two people around the world trust their vision to ZEISS spectacle lenses.
Made By ZEISS: Brand Heritage of Over 160 Years.
A History of Science and Innovation
The historical company of Carl Zeiss, now known as ZEISS has over 160 years of experience in optical innovations globally as well as a strong presence in Australia and New Zealand.
A lessor known fact is that ZEISS is solely owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, and is not a publicly traded company. The Foundation operates differently from listed stock corporations by providing the scope needed to pursue long-term strategies addressing major challenges in science and technology, including supporting university programs in natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
This year, the Carl Zeiss Foundation celebrates its 125th anniversary together with its companies ZEISS and SCHOTT. The German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel gave the ceremonial address at the festive event, noting that the Foundation Statute written by Ernst Abbe in 1896 describes “the ideal model of responsible entrepreneurship.”
Every second, two people around the world trust their vision to ZEISS spectacle lenses
The ZEISS origins are equally fascinating, with company’s founders Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe, and Otto Schott leading the way with pioneering concepts and innovations.
Ernst Abbe is known for the invention of the apochromatic lens used in early microscopes, as well as the Abbe number, a measure of lens clarity leading to an understanding of the benefits of high index materials in reducing chromatic aberrations.
Otto Schott invented borosilicate glass, and provided a foundation for the Schott company to be a pioneer in glass technology today with wide-reaching implications in the fields of electronics, transportation industries, medical technology, and optics.
Across the group of companies, ZEISS continues to invest approximately 10 percent of its revenue in research and development in pursuit of optical innovations to maintain its lead in the field of optics.
Partnerships – Brand Power to Reach Customers
The benefits of ZEISS technology would not be fully realised without strong relationships formed with industry partners. From medical devices to consumer electronics, ZEISS optics are widely used today. In fact, it is hard to find an electronic device that doesn‘t contain memory or a processor developed using a ZEISS lens.
For example, Nokia uses ZEISS lenses for their smartphones while Sony combines premium-quality electronics and sensor technology with the best optics for film and video cameras. Furthermore, ZEISS is currently in the process of designing the optical components for the James Webb Space Telescope, which is set to replace the Hubble Space Telescope sometime in 2018.
In the fields of microscopy and medical technology, ZEISS microscopes offer outstanding imaging performance and have paved the way for insights that have helped conquer serious diseases.
While the ZEISS brand is well-known in film and photography, binoculars and hunting optics, the most popular products are the ZEISS brand spectacle lenses, which enable millions of people all over the world to enjoy better vision.
Eye Care Professionals, dispensing ZEISS lenses continue to be a key partner, and this remains an important priority for the company in Australia and New Zealand. Patients can be assured of the ZEISS quality of their spectacle lenses, with each lens engraved with the symbol “Z”.
