New England College of Optometry (NECO) brought together more than 100 leaders
from education, health care and industry this week for its 2025 Industry Collaborative. This two-day event examined how technology, innovation and collaboration are reshaping the future of optometric education and patient care.
Hosted Nov. 3-4 in Boston, the conference featured keynote presentations from Joseph Aoun, PhD, president of Northeastern University, and Joshua Baker, OD, president & CEO of Midwestern University, alongside panel discussions, technology demonstrations and lively Q&A sessions.
“The Industry Collaborative is our opportunity to ‘open the hood’ and show what’s really happening inside optometric education,” said Howard Purcell, OD, FAAO, Dipl., president & CEO of NECO. “We’re facing rapid changes in technology and patient needs, and our responsibility is to ensure students are ready for both—not just as clinicians, but as innovators.”
DR. JOSHUA BAKER’S KEYNOTE
In his keynote address, Dr. Baker cautioned against assuming certainty in an era of technological disruption.
“The person who tells you they know how new technology will affect health care or education—that’s a ‘buyer beware’ moment,” he said. “None of us really know. But if we stay nimble, we can make sure our students are prepared to excel no matter what tools or platforms come next. That’s the challenge.”
Dr. Aoun focused on the rise of artificial intelligence and its implications not only for higher education but for society in general. “We must understand both the disruption and the opportunity presented by AI,” he said. “Our task as educators is to cultivate what I call humanics—combining technical literacy with the human skills of empathy, creativity and critical thinking. Nurturing these skills in our students is at the core of our role as educators.”
NECO launched the Collaborative on a simple premise: not all conflict is bad. Participants were encouraged to “share the air,” disagree respectfully, to listen fully and to test assumptions within ground rules that balanced psychological safety with rigorous challenge.
Throughout the event, sessions explored the intersection of AI and clinical decision-making, the role of partnerships between academia and industry and new models for integrating innovation into optometric curricula. Participants included educators, researchers and corporate leaders from across the country, representing 48 organizations spanning academic institutions, associations, care-delivery organizations, media partners and vision care companies.
Building on the success of this year’s event, NECO announced their intention to extend the Industry Collaborative into a year-round platform for continued engagement—including webinars, research partnerships and student-driven innovation projects.
“The future of optometry depends on shared vision and bold collaboration,” said Dr. Purcell. “This gathering reinforces that NECO is helping to lead those conversations.”
Find more information on the Industry Collaborative and upcoming NECO initiatives here.
Find and download photos from the 2025 Industry Collaborative here.
