The Intelligent Ophthalmic Lens: How AI Design Capability Reshapes Competitive Positioning in Global Ophthalmic Manufacturing

Artificial intelligence is moving from process automation into product design itself, and nowhere is this shift more consequential than in ophthalmic lens manufacturing, where AI-driven freeform surface design increasingly determines optical performance. This research-in-progress paper examines how AI design capability reshapes competitive positioning in the global ophthalmic manufacturing industry, with particular attention to manufacturers in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Drawing on the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities theory, and Porter's competitive positioning framework, the study develops a model of how AI design capability functions as a strategic resource — and interrogates whether it can remain a source of sustained advantage or is destined for imitation and commoditisation as design engines diffuse across the industry. The research employs a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design combining PLS-SEM analysis of survey data from industry practitioners with thematic analysis of qualitative interviews and comparative case studies. The paper contributes to the digital transformation literature by extending capability-based theories of competitive advantage into a mid-technology manufacturing context that has received little scholarly attention, and offers practitioners in emerging manufacturing regions a framework for deciding whether to build, buy, or partner for AI design capability. This research-in-progress paper presents the introduction, theoretical framework, conceptual model and propositions, and research design; empirical results will be reported in a subsequent version.