Alfonso Iovieno is the winner of the second edition of the Ophthalmology Cottino Applico Award. The Cottino Foundation announced the winner during the 15th International Congress of the Italian Society of Ophthalmology - SOI which was held on 26 May 2017 in Milan. Chosen from a shortlist of 3 finalists selected by a jury of experts, Dr Alfonso Iovieno will receive a prize of up to 100,000 euro to turn his research into a business. Eye Co-De, the winning project, involves the creation of a simple and innovative device which will help surgeons to perform lamellar corneal transplantation. This transplant technique has been shown to improve medium/long term clinical outcome, with greater benefits for the patients and health care cost savings. Eye Co-De significantly reduces the dependence of surgical outcome on the human factor alone and allows a larger number of surgeons to be able to perform such delicate and difficult technique in greater safety.