The Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, a global leader in medical technology, have entered into a strategic partnership to improve surgical outcomes in refractive and cataract surgeries.
The collaboration, named Ophthalmic Tech Innovation by ZEISS and SERI (OPTIZS), combines top-tier expertise and approximately SG$20 million in funding, supported by Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2025 Plan (RIE 2025). Over the next three years, this initiative will fund a range of research projects focused on enhancing clinical outcomes and fostering innovation in ophthalmic surgery.
Cataract and refractive surgeries are the most common eye procedures worldwide, and with an aging population and changing lifestyles, demand for these surgeries is expected to rise. However, some patients experience post-surgery challenges, such as persistent dry eyes and corneal edema, where the cornea swells and loses its transparency.
In this partnership, ZEISS and SERI will collaborate to develop more personalized solutions and improve surgical processes before and during the procedure. Their goal is to help patients recover their vision faster and achieve better long-term stability. By enhancing diagnostics and surgical precision, they aim to improve cataract surgery results and provide more consistent outcomes. The partnership will also explore new treatments for presbyopia and enhance outcomes for patients with myopia, focusing on developing advanced procedures that offer improved short- and long-term results.
SERI and ZEISS have enjoyed a successful partnership since 2008, when SERI received its first Translational Clinical Research (TCR) grant from the National Medical Research Council for the Translational Research Innovations in Ocular Surgery (TRIOS) program. Over the years, their collaboration has expanded to include research, education, and clinical training, playing a key role in nurturing local talent and promoting collaboration between academia and industry at both SERI and the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). ZEISS also played an essential role in the success of the second TCR grant in 2014, which focused on advancing innovations in lenticule implantation, a critical area of ophthalmic research. Building on these achievements, SERI and ZEISS are now focusing on three main areas: enhancing education and training, joint research and development, and clinical initiatives aimed at improving vision and patient satisfaction for both younger and older populations.