President’s Message
Ms. Grace Cho
President
Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association
Welcome to HKOMA Annual Directory (issue 2025).
It is my great pleasure to have been elected as the president of HKOMA by members for several times in the past more than 10 years, from 2010 to 2014, 2018 to 2022, and 2024 to the present. Currently, the industry is facing the most challenging business environment. It is also the time in which I have felt the most pressure since I took the responsibility of the presidency.
Although the pandemic has been over for more than a year in 2024, under the in uence of high interest rates in the United States and global geopolitical tensions, both companies and customers are in a cautious wait-and-see attitude in terms of business and consumption. Under such a predicament, I remain optimistic and believe that the world market has huge demand of eyewear products and that the future of the eyewear industry is full of opportunities. For the development of Hong Kong eyewear industry, I have enthusiasm expectation as well.
The Hong Kong eyewear manufacturing industry has experienced more than half a century of development. Eyewear manufacturers in Hong Kong specialize in making medium to high-end frames throught original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and original design manufacturing (ODM). Their factories in mainland China and ASEAN countries, serve overseas buyers and global brands. Hong Kong kept remained the world's third-largest exporter of eyewear and frames in 2023. In the rst nine months of 2024, Hong Kong’s total exports of spectacles, lens and frames amounted to about USD 2 billion. Our major export markets are the United States, followed by Italy and Mainland China.
The world today is undergoing a major transformation unseen in a century. Under the in uence of continued in ation, geopolitical struggles, weak traditional markets and the rapid development of innovation and technology, the export manufacturing industry is under keen pressure. Manufacturers need to keep pace with the times and take advantage of the trend. In terms of products, we devote eorts in design innovation and optimize quality, establish green manufacturing to reduce energy and carbon, and improve production intelligence. In the market, we establish our own brands and e-commerce. At the same time, in order to reduce operation costs and responds to customer requirements, the production activities are dispersed outside mainland China, such as establishing production lines in the ASEAN region, while high value-added sections, including marketing, management, nance and accounting remained in Hong Kong and the mainland.
Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association (HKOMA) was established in 1982, with a history of more than 42 years. HKOMA has not only witnessed the ups and downs of the industry, but also plays the role of leader and guardian. We know that HKOMA needs to strive of innovation while inheriting for leading the industry to rejuvenate and vitality.
With the support and eorts of my committee associates in the past year, I implemented a plan to expand the organization structure of HKOMA, established two aliated branches for the association – “The Federation of Hong Kong Optical Industry” (HKOI) and “Federation of Hong Kong & Greater Bay Optical Enterprises” (HKGEO), together with another aliated branch – the “Hong Kong Eyewear Designer Club” launched in 2016, with aims to connect dierent sectors of the optical industry and attract dierent groups such as: design, retail, wholesale and start-up brands etc. to join in the HKOMA family, allowing Hong Kong eyewear manufacturers to strengthen close exchanges with counterparts from dierent sectors of the optical industry in other countries and the Greater Bay Area in China.
Wish HKOMA will strengthen the cohesion of the industry, to achieve inheritance and nurturer future talents, as well as create another glorious new chapter for the Hong Kong optical industry.