Highlights this week:

Several interesting developments happened in the OLED sector this week, with the Taiwanese government announcing it will be pouring US $3 billion to develop flexible AMOLED and PMOLED industries in the nation. The flexible display technology will be co-developed with ITRI, and the government aims to form a comprehensive OLED supply chain in Taiwan and reducing the country’s reliance on material imports.

Cadillac also showcased its OLED concept car in California on Friday, where it is employing four large OLED panels for its Escala concept car dashboard.

Back on developments in the LED luminaire sector, GE Lighting has shutdown two traditional luminaire manufacturing plants in Kentucky, U.S. Sliding sales of conventional lighting, and surging LED revenues led the lighting giant to close down the two plants. Philips Lighting and Taiwan-based China Electric, the owner of lighting brand TOA, kicked off their joint lighting design and development center.

Japanese LED manufacturers have also been quite active this week. Leading Japanese UVC LED company Nikkiso announced it will be acquiring AquiSense Technologies, while Nichia announced a major victory against Everlight in German courts. Since Everlight cannot appeal the final decision by the German Federal Court of Justice, it intends to file a new YAG LED patent invalidation lawsuit against Nichia.

Other interesting developments this week, Disney has patented an interesting IR-LED based entertainment system that will make Jedi style light saber fights possible at its future Star Wars area in Disneyland, which LEDinside editorial team projects might benefit IR LED manufacturers, such as Osram or Epistar.

Editor recommendations

1. Taiwan's Government to Inject NT $100B in OLED Technology
2. GE Lighting Shuts Two Production Plants in U.S.
3. Leading UVC LED Company Nikkiso Acquires AquiSense Technologies
4. China Electric and Philips Lighting Launch Joint Lighting Center in Taiwan
5. German Federal Court of Justice Validates Nichia’s YAG-LED Patent
6. Epistar Aims to Turn around Losses in 3Q16 despite Challenges Ahead
7. Zumtobel Group Revenue Soars for Fiscal Year 2015/2016, To Invest in Connected Lighting
8. Lenovo to Launch Foldable Notebook Ahead of Samsung?
9. Opple Lighting Raises RMB 864M through its First IPO

What’s trending

1. KAUST Laser-based Li-Fi Reaches 2GB Data Speed Transmission Milestone
2. ANSI Revises American National Standard for Electric Lamp Bases
3. Harvard University Licenses OLED Material AI Learning Platform to Kyulux
4. Cadillac Unveils Escala Concept Car Incorporating OLED Displays
5. Disney Patents IR LED-based Interactive Light Saber System

Government projects

• Shimla to Get LED Streetlights Upgrade

Industry news

1. iPhone 7 to Feature Pressure-Sensitive Home Button and Front LED Light
2. Apple Adoption of OLED Might be Limited in iPhone 8
3. Chinese Manufacturers catch up in GaN Technology
4. LEDInside to Explore Next Generation Micro-LED Display Technology at LEDforum 2016
5. Intertek Expands Lighting General Coverage Program to Include LED Luminaires
6. HC Semitek’s Net Profits Triple in 1H16
7. Changelight Net Profit Plummets in 1H16 Despite Soaring Revenues
8. Cree Gross Margins Downed for Fiscal 4Q16
9. Pixelligent Closes $10.4 Million in Funding
10. China Electric Wins LED Streetlight Projects in Taiwan Totaling NT $400M in 2016
11. Everlight to File another Patent Invalidation Case against Nichia in Germany
12. Three Chinese LED Manufacturers Revenue Performance for 1H16
13. National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors Rebrands Organization Name
14. AOT Losses Money in 2Q16

New products

1. Eaton Expands its LED Floodlight Product Portfolio
2. GlacialLight Unveils New Dimmable 35W LED Ceiling Light
3. Global Clean Energy Signs LED Distribution Agreements
4. Access Fixtures Launches New KOTA LED High Bay
5. Principal LED Releases New LED Module for Signage Applications
6. Cypress New Automotive LED Driver Reduces BOM in Headlight Systems
7. RunLites Introduces New Wearable Tech that Turns Night into Light
8. Innovation in Optics Launches LED Solar Simulator for Testing PV Devices
9. BeON Places Security and Safety Lighting at the Tip of Your Finger
10. SYLVANIA Smart Lighting Enables Voice Control via Alexa
11. Lunera Offers the 20,000 Lumen LED to Replace 400W HID Lamps

Lighting projects

• Zumtobel Illuminates the Sägerbrücke Bridge in Dornbirn
• LG Innotek to Light up 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Stadium
• Hoffman-Madison Waterfront Unveils Vibrant Lighting for the Francis Case Memorial Bridge