AGORDO, Italy—EssilorLuxottica (ESLX.PA), in partnership with the National Secretariats, the National Coordinators and the Trade Union Coordination of Filctem CGIL, Femca CISL and Uiltec UIL, have announced the introduction of EssilorLuxottica’s first wearable production lines in Italy, starting in the second half of the year. This initiative will focus initially on the company’s Agordo plant, EssilorLuxottica said, where an entire production area will be completely converted to support these new industrial activities. Operations are set to begin by early 2027.
“Bringing the production of our wearable devices also to Italy, starting from the Agordo plant, represents a strategic and industrial choice of great significance for both the Group and the local territory,” said Francesco Milleri, chairman and CEO of EssilorLuxottica. “It is an ambitious plan that requires strong capabilities, a robust supply chain and an ecosystem able to support innovation, quality and speed of execution. We are convinced that this challenge can only be successfully addressed through a strong alignment among all stakeholders—the company, its people, trade unions and institutions—in order to build an integrated ecosystem that brings together technology, talents and supply chain, further strengthening our leadership in a sector with enormous potential.”
The significant investment in the facility, machinery and people that underpins this initiative is part of a broader path the company has undertaken together with trade unions, within the framework of the Contratto Integrativo Aziendale (CIA) and subsequent framework agreement signed last September. According to EssilorLuxottica, this investment is intended to support the development and competitiveness of the group’s Italian manufacturing network, while also reinforcing an industrial model grounded in quality, innovation and the global value of “Made in Italy.”
In addition, EssilorLuxottica said, this initiative represents a strategic industrial choice for the company, due to the high technological content of wearable devices. It is driven by the ambition to preserve and strengthen the role of the group’s Italian plants as innovation hubs and is in support of the evolution of eyewear toward a new era of different user experiences and fostering the development of a solid, competitive and future-oriented manufacturing ecosystem. To this end, the company said, collaboration with the country’s trade unions will be essential to ensure the efficiency of the production platform and the long-term sustainability of the investment.
“This is a choice that confirms how innovation, research and advanced manufacturing can and must find a place in our country,” said Marco Falcinelli, Sebastiano Tripoli and Daniela Piras, general secretaries of Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Ultec Uil, respectively. “The challenge now is to support this transition with continuous investment in people, skills development and the quality of work, ensuring that technological evolution translates into industrial and social growth across our community.”
“An important signal against delocalization dynamics and in support of an industrial policy that places work, skills and the manufacturing capacity of our country back at the center, while reinforcing the strategic role of the Group’s Italian plants,” said the national secretaries Sonia Tosoni of Filctem Cgil, Raffaele Salvatoni and Ivano Dalla Brea of Femca Cisl and Livia Raffaglio of Uiltec Uil. “We will continue to support a development model that combines innovation, stable employment, employees’ participation and the strengthening of the domestic industrial base.”
