Alcon marks 110th anniversary of Grieshaber AG site in Switzerland

In a press release on Monday, Alcon and its subsidiary Alcon Grieshaber AG recognised the 110th anniversary of the companies’ ophthalmic facility in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. In 1915, Johannes Conrad Grieshaber, a cutler, began developing and refining ophthalmic surgical instruments for eye surgeons local to him in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Over time, and through collaboration with ophthalmologists in Switzerland and worldwide, Grieshaber AG grew into a microsurgical developer known for its precision instrumentation.

The Alcon Grieshaber site in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, has been used for development and production of ophthalmic instrumentation for 110 years. Image courtesy of Alcon.

That original Schaffhausen site is still a centre of ophthalmic innovation, 110 years later. Today, Alcon Grieshaber bolsters the broader Alcon surgical portfolio by producing and distributing more than 1.4 million instruments and accessories each year, which are used in vitreoretinal and cataract surgeries. The continued excellence of the specialised team at Alcon Grieshaber has been a point of pride for 25 years. It also accounts for the 2024 relocation of Alcon's research and development (R&D) headquarters to a facility in neighbouring Neuhausen am Rheinfall. The R&D facility includes a dedicated wet lab for hands-on development of new surgical tools.

The continued success of the site can be attributed to the close relationship between Alcon’s research team and working clinicians, said Niels Abt, head of R&D at Alcon Grieshaber. "Collaboration between surgeons and instrument makers has always been at the heart of our success,” he commented. “Our new R&D facility takes this partnership to the next level, providing a space where expertise and creativity come together to develop the next generation of microsurgical tools. This milestone is a testament to our dedication to precision, innovation, and excellence in eye care."

Franck Leveiller, senior vice president of global R&D and chief scientific officer for Alcon, also commented on the anniversary. “For over a century, Grieshaber has continued to innovate and push the boundaries in ophthalmic surgery. Our legacy of innovation and precision continues to drive surgical advancements, improving outcomes for patients and elevating the standard of eye care worldwide.”

"For 110 years, Grieshaber has stood for Swiss precision and innovation in ophthalmic surgery,” said Thomas O’Neill, general manager at Alcon Grieshaber. “This milestone is not only about celebrating our history, but also reinforcing our long-term commitment to advancing surgical instrumentation. With our expanded manufacturing site, we remain dedicated to producing world-class solutions that meet the evolving needs of surgeons and patients worldwide."

Reference

Alcon celebrates 110 years of Swiss precision and innovation in ophthalmic microsurgery. News release. Published April 14, 2025. Accessed April 15, 2025.