Carl Zeiss Meditec has opened its Centre for Applications and Research, India (CARIn) in Bangalore. The move is part of the German medical technology company’s focus on high growth markets like India. The company is already represented in India for the last 13 years with its own sales and service centres.

CARIn, Centre for Applications and Research, India, is located in the immediate vicinity of the Carl Zeiss sales and service company in Bangalore. The research and development work will initially be focused on systems for use in ophthalmology.

The focus of its India facility will be define products for Rapidly Developing Economies (RDE), including India and China, develop the software to enhance the workflow efficiency in doctors’ offices and hospitals, besides provide clinical applications and collaborate with medical research institutes, hospitals and universities in India in order to jointly develop medical techniques and solutions .

“In India, we are investing not only in the expansion of our sales and service network, but also in product and application development. In this process, we are working very closely with our customers and partners in science,” stated Dr Michael Kaschke, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG.

The Indian research centre was planned to make use of the engineering and research capabilities in the country. The research centres in Bangalore will focus on ophthalmology. Over the long term, however, the R&D activities will be expanded to include the entire product spectrum of Carl Zeiss Meditec. The first employees for the new centre have already been recruited. The capacity will be expanded to up to 50 Engineers and Researchers in the first phase by mid 2011, stated Dr Ludwin Monz, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss Meditec AG.

While no specific investment details for the Bangalore centre was revealed, the company stated that on an average Carl Zeiss which generated Euro 676 million in 2009/10 spends 10 per cent of its annual revenue for research and development.

Carl Zeiss Meditec offers complete solutions, including implants and consumables, to diagnose and treat eye diseases. In the field of microsurgery, the company provides innovative visualization solutions. The medical technology portfolio of Carl Zeiss Meditec has future-oriented technologies like intra-operative radiotherapy.