Product development and competitive advantage in materials used in high refractive index eyeglass lenses

Mitsui Chemicals “MR-6”

Abstract

MR-6 is the material used for high refractive index glass lenses and was introduced by Mitsui Chemical in 1987. MR-6 managed to spur the popularity of plastic lenses in Japan. Even in markets such as Europe and the United States, where high refractive index lenses grew popular at a later date, follow-up products have gained market share and a competitive edge. Underpinning such successes is (1) the strategic effort to build market-entry barriers through the continual release of follow-up products, (2) the formulation of patent and switching-cost networks, and (3) product development activities such as the creation of new material concepts, close collaboration with users, and the accumulation of assessment technologies afforded by such collaboration.