Facebook owner Meta has taken a significant step in its ambitious push into AI-powered wearable technology by opening a £12 million audio research lab in Cambridge. The new facility, featuring specialised reverb rooms and ultra-quiet acoustic chambers, is designed to advance spatial audio and machine learning specifically for Meta’s next-generation AI glasses. This development underscores Meta’s growing investment in the UK tech sector, where the company already employs more than 5,500 people.

The Cambridge lab launch coincided with a high-profile meeting between Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, and UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, symbolising a mutual commitment to innovation and investment within the Oxford to Cambridge growth corridor. Kaplan emphasised that the facility represents Meta’s long-term dedication to the UK, highlighting the abundant engineering talent available locally. He expressed excitement about the lab’s potential to elevate the audio experience of Meta’s smart glasses, ensuring seamless, AI-powered sound quality regardless of external distractions. Chancellor Reeves welcomed the investment as a “huge vote of confidence” in the UK’s position as a hub for cutting-edge research, noting the government’s ongoing backing of the sector with a record £22 billion in research and development funding aimed at fostering innovation and sustainable job growth.

The lab’s establishment comes amid reports that Meta has taken a nearly 3% minority stake in EssilorLuxottica, the world’s largest eyewear manufacturer and parent company of renowned brands Ray-Ban and Oakley. This stake, valued at around €3 billion (£2.6 billion), represents a strategic move by Meta to deepen its foothold in the smart glasses market, a sector increasingly defined by the integration of artificial intelligence. Although neither Meta nor EssilorLuxottica officially commented, industry analysts see this partnership as a natural progression of their existing collaboration, which began in 2019 with the launch of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — the first AI glasses to achieve notable commercial success globally.

Following the Ray-Ban Meta launch, Meta and EssilorLuxottica recently introduced a new line of Oakley Meta glasses targeted at athletes. These AI-enhanced smart glasses feature Oakley’s PRIZM Lens technology for improved vision across varied light and weather conditions, alongside Meta’s AI assistant capabilities, including voice interaction and activity recording. The Oakley Meta HSTN glasses are water-resistant and designed to meet the performance demands of sport, further expanding Meta’s product portfolio beyond the lifestyle segment dominated by Ray-Ban.

EssilorLuxottica has indicated plans to expand manufacturing capacity for smart glasses and explore further collaborations with Meta, suggesting the alliance is positioned for long-term growth in the wearable tech sphere. Market reaction to the investment was positive, with EssilorLuxottica’s shares rising nearly 6% following the announcement, reflecting investor confidence in the synergy between Meta’s AI expertise and EssilorLuxottica’s market-leading eyewear brands.

This latest expansion signifies Meta’s broader ambition to lead in the rapidly evolving domain of intelligent, connected wearables. By harnessing the UK’s research talent through the Cambridge audio lab and leveraging strategic partnerships with industry giants like EssilorLuxottica, Meta is positioning itself at the forefront of a market that blends advanced software, hardware design, and consumer lifestyle innovation.

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Source: Noah Wire Services