Summary:
The New Year is around the corner and in the soon-to-last 2011, there are so many unforgettable moment for LED industry.

As we know, global LED market faces many opportunities and challenges in 2011, with so many unpredicted problems including Japanese earthquake in March 11, Europe debt crisis, and unsatisfactory demand coming flood. Some LED companies have to declare bankruptcy, while others take active part in fighting against the trouble.

When many people are immerse in the sadness comes from Japanese catastrophe, some clever LED manufactures seize the opportunity to supply LED lighting to disaster victims. As LED is eco-friendly lighting and good for energy saving, there are popular in Japan.

It’s no doubt that Europe debt crisis has a big influence on market demand. Some mamufactures slash 2011 sales guidance; some keep a cautious attitude toward LED investment or ask staffs to take no paid leave to reduce cost.

However, some manufactures are still confidence of the future. To overcome the temporary trouble, they actively develop own brand, cultivate new market, or recombination with other manufacturer and so on. No pains, no gains. They finally benefit from their bravely attempts.

It’s tendency that efficient LED will take place the incandescent. Currently, many countries have announced incandescent bulb phase-out policy. With government’s subsidies and the improving technology, the cost of LED is reducing, more and more customers will afford to LED bulbs.

2011 is dawning near, are you ready to embrace the LED lighting New Era?

LED Industry News Timeline in 2011
Events:
January：
1.    Philips expands its portfolio to deliver customized energy-efficient lighting solutions through the acquisition of Optimum Lighting
2.    Shenzhen Kaifa, Epistar, Evertop and Country Lighting Jointly to Build a LED JV
3.    China May Release the Restrictions to Phase out Incandescent Light Bulbs
4.    Everlight Teamed up with International LED makers to Develop Mainland China’s LED Grow Light Market
5.    Taiwan LED Industry May Keep on Steady Growth in 2011
6.    Three Display Panel Makers from Taiwan Paved the Way for LED Lighting Market
7.    GT Solar's First Commercial Sale of Sapphire Crystallization Furnaces in Korea
8.    US Consumer Product Safety Commission Recall Commercial LED Lamps
February：
1. World First! Everlight Has Launched Carbon Footprint Declaration for LED Products
2. Philips Aims at Acquisitions in the Asia-Pacific Region
3. Philips LED Lightbulb is First 60-WATT Equivalent to Earn Energy Star Qualification
4. Epistar Teams up with Delta Electronics to Bulid Guangzhou LED Wafer Plant
5. Bridgelux Raises $21 million for LED Lighting
6. Philips to Invest EUR 2 Billion in Green Innovation by 2015
7. Korea-based LED Company Set up LED Lighting Assembly Plant in Kaunas
March：
1. GE and Canada Government Invest in LED Lighting Research Project for Commercial Greenhouses Production
2. LEDinside: The Effects Caused by the Earthquake in Northeast Japan to LED Industry are Limited
3. Xiamen LED Company Leedarson Develops Plastic Heat Sinks for LED Bulbs
4. OSRAM’s LEDs Help Three Beijing Districts Pilot LED Street Lighting Save 50% Energy
5. Seoul Semiconductor Startes Mass Production of New Acriche
6. Taiwanese LED Company May Benefit from Japan`s Post-earthquake Reconstruction
7. Taiwan LED Manufacturers Acquires Increasing Orders for Japan Post-quake Reconstruction
8. Samsung LED Cooperates with Sumitomo Chemical to Build a LED Parts Venture
9. Nichia's White LEDs Patent Infringement Lawsuit is Acknowledged
April：
1. Toshiba Releases New Commercial Dimmable LED Lamps
2. The Ventures of Samsung LED and Sumitomo Chemical to Break Ground
3. Seven-Eleven Japan to Install LED Lighting to Face up with Power Shortages
4. Tower Bridge to Get a LED Makeover for London 2012 Olympic Games
5. Aixtron CRIUS II Supports Taiwan Chi Mei for GaN LED Manufacturing
6. Chinese Company ShineOn Invested $51.5 Million for LED Components
May：
1.LG and Samsung Start to Adopt LED lights in Refrigerator
2. TSMC to Transfer Solar, LED Units into Two New Subsidiaries
3. Guizhou-based LED Company Orders GT Solar $218.9 Million Advanced Sapphire Crystallization Furnaces
4. Seoul Semiconductor Defends Philips Patent Infringement
5. Cree Broke LED Efficacy Records with 231 Lumen Per Watt
6. Veeco Set up Shanghai Customer Support & Training Center
7. Samsung Received Evident Tech’s QD LED Patent Portfolio
8. Digital Lumens LEDs to Entry into Europe Market
9. Philips Launches First EnduraLED A21 17-watt Light Bulb Replacement for the 75-watt
10. CAO Group Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Major World-wide LED Manufactures
11. Nichia Filed an Provisional Injunction Action against Korean Company
12. LG Plans to Sell LED at Low Price
13. AIXTRON Received Samsung’s G5 HT MOCVD Planetary Reactor Orders
June：
1. LEDforum China of International Market Trend and Lighting Applications Has a Successful Close
2. GE, Cree Deny LED Supply Deal
3. Japan LED Manufacturers Increase Production
4. Siemens Filed a Patented LED Lighting Technology Lawsuit against Samsung and LG
5.GT Solar Received Its Largest Single Order from Chinese LED Freshman
6.Philips Lumileds and Future Electronics Signed New Five-year Agreement
7. Taiwan`s LED-lamp Makers Benefit from Japan Increasing LED Demands
8. Samsung LED Files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Osram in Korea
9. Taiwan`s Major LED Munafacturers Share Their Views on LED Lighting
12. Dialight Forms Dialight Japan KK to Tap into Japan LED Lighting Market
13. China Mainland to Sign High Technologies Standardization MOU with Taiwan
14. Nichia Files a Patent Infringement Lawsuit against German Retailer
15. Samsung LED Received Energy Star Certification
16. Taiwan’s LED Chipmakers Likely Benefit from South Korean Expansion Halts
July：
1. Aixtron Establishes Aixtron – SINANO Training Centre in China
2. LEDnovation Launches World's First True 50W Equivalent MR16 Lamp
3. Samsung LED Signed an Agreement with KOPTI to Enhance LED Lighting Technology
4. Chinese LED Chip Makers Drastically Modify Expansion Plan Due to Weak End-Market Demand
5. Samsung LED Files Infringement Lawsuits against OSRAM in the United States International Trade Commission and Federal Court in Delaware
6. The World Bank Encourages Taiwanese Firms to Light up African LED Market
7. Toshiba’s LED Products Receive Energy StarR Label
8. GE Lighting Spent $15-20 million to Acquire Lightech
9. NVC Lighting Eyes to Overseas Sales
August：
1. GE Lighting to Roll out LED Incandescent Replacement Bulbs
2. Bridgelux $60 Million to Develop LEDs on Silicon Surfaces
3. LG Accused Osram, Hella of LED Patent Infringement in China
4. Taiwan Establishes Two Technical Committees to Participate in Global LED Lighting Standards
5. China aims for LED global domination by 2015
6. GE to Roll out New LED Light Bulbs In Fall
7. South Korea Ranks No.2 in LED Manufacture
8. GT Solar Completes Name Change to GT Advanced Technologies
9. Bridgelux May Team up with TSMC’s LED Business
10. Cree Acquires Ruud, Increases LED Share
11. Lighting Science Group and Dixon Technologies Jointly Releses New LED Bulb Priced under $15
12. Everlight and Epistar Call on Taiwan Government’s Incentives to Strengthen LED Industry’s Statue
September：
1. Veeco’s Taiwan Technology Center Opens to Build a Long-term Strategic Partnership in the Great China Market
2. Everlight and Epistar Call on Taiwan Government’s Incentives to Strengthen LED Industry’s Statue
3. Coca-Cola Brings in LED Lighting for Vending Machines
4. Aixtron Slashed 2011 Sales Guidance
5. Chip One Stop Acknowledged Nichia's White LED Products Patent Infringement Lawsuit
6. Taiwan Makers Explore New LED Chip Line
7. LG to Invest $7 Billion in Green Business
8. German Zweibrüder Optoelectronics Created LED Gaint Flashlight
9. Toshiba Sets up LED Lighting Systems Division
10. Nichia Filed a Lawsuit against Tsannkuen Japan
11. Guangdong Government Strives to Popularize LED Lighting
12. New Law to Essentially Eliminate Incandescent Lightbulbs
October：
1. Lextar Electronics Went Public on September 29th
2. Siemens’ Osram AG Acquires 100% Interest in Encelium Technologies
3. Nichia Filed Two Patent Infringement Lawsuits against Everlight
4. LG Filed LED Patent Against Hella, Automotive Lighting
5. Cost-cutting Philips Sees Sharp LED Growth
6. Taiwan Makers Emphasize Thermal Substrates Targeted at High-power LED Lighting
7. Everlight Sticks to LED Shipment Schedule Regardless of Nichia’s Patent Lawsuit
8. Optogan Opens Europe’s Second Largest LED Chip Production Site
9. Mainland China’s Incandescent-ban Program Affects Taiwan’s LED Maufactures’ Actions
November：
1.    GE Lighting Keeps a Cautious Attitude toward LED Market
2.    Everlight Scrapped Unpaid Leave Plan
3.    Lighting Science posts 100% Increase in LED Lighting Products Orders
4.    Rubicon Technology Ships 200,000th Large Diameter Sapphire Wafer
5.    Mainland China and Taiwan Eying LED Development
6.    China Plans to Ban Incandescent Light Bulbs
7.    LED TV Sets may Dominate in China First Tier Markets by January 2012
8.    Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs to Revise Strategies for LED Industry Development
9.    Taiwan Government Takes Actions to Promote LED Industry
10.  Samsung Electronics American First-ever LED Light Bulbs Eyes U.S. Households
11.   Toshiba’s LED Lighting Lights up The Louvre Pyramid
12.    Osram Sylvania’s New Survey about Americans’ Awareness on Light Bulb Changeover
13.    Taiwan President Ma Attended Genesis Photonics New Plant’s Inaugural Ceremony
14.    Epistar Cooperates with Yonkon Group and NVC Lighting
15.    Genesis Photonics Sets up Its Mind to be “ MediaTek Inc.” of Taiwan’s LED Industry
16.    Higher Regional Court Karlsruhe Confirms OSRAM Patents
December：
1. Philips Announces the Largest Energy Saving LED Lighting Deal in Africa to date
2. Lighting Science Group’s World Bulb Receives Consumer Electronics Show Best of Innovations Award
3. Everlight Receives Plant Grow Lights Orders Benefiting from Unusual Winter
4. Tera Xtal to Set Up Crystal-Growing and Substrate Plants in China in 1Q12
5. Rejection of OSRAM’s infringement case vs. DOMINANT issued by OLG Karlsruhe
6. Philips Expects Worldwide Switch to LED Lighting at UN Climate Change Conference
7. Korean LEDs to Light up Canadian Cities
8. Everlight Fights a Countersuit Against Nichia
9. LED Orders From Mainland China Boost Unity Opto, Genesis’s Sales
10. Rubicon Technology Marks First Anniversary of Batavia Sapphire Growth Facility
11. Taiwan to Install LED streetlights to Stimulate Its Economy
12. Seoul Semiconductor Enters Into a Cross-License Agreement with Philips
13. SA to be The First African Cuntry to Phase out Incandescent Bulbs
14. Optogan Cooperates with Ledison Patan to Expanse Turkish LED Lighting Market
15. Philips lights up Zurich’s Hardbrücke, Switzerland’s largest LED project
16. Samsung, LG to Release 60W LED Light Bulbs of US$10-12
17. The European Commission Launches Public Consultation for LED Deployment
18. Taiwan’s LED Industry to Benefit from Panasonic’s Cost-reduction Plan
19. Taiwan Goes Green with LED Traffic Signal Replacement Project
20. Ledzworld Signs Patent License Agreement with Cree Inc.
21. Epistar Makes Breakthrough on High Voltage Chipset
22. GE Lighting Predicts LEDs will Share 80% of Market by 2020
23. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation files Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Red Phosphors in Korea
24. Philips LEDs to Light up 2012 Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball
25. GE Lighting Solutions and Dongbu Lightec's Patent Infringement Lawsuit Comes to an End
26. Taiwan Ranks No.1 in LED Industry Scale of 2011

Looking forward to 2012, global LED industry develops better and better.