Along with its ongoing activities in the field of LEDs, the Zumtobel Group of Austria is also investing in OLEDs, a technology with a bright future. To this end, and subject to approval by the anti-trust authorities, the lighting group will be joining forces with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and several employees of the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS) in Dresden, to found a joint venture company by the name of "Ledon OLED Lighting GmbH & Co. KG”. Ledon OLED will be based in Dresden, a key location for OLED technology in Europe. The company, which aims to set up a team of 10-15 highly qualified specialists in its initial year, will be focusing on the development and production of pioneering light modules based on organic light-emitting diodes.

The main field of application for the innovative OLED modules will be actual lighting tasks: "We are out to offer our customers new and customised solutions involving the use of high quality OLED light modules in luminaires and signage lighting. Our unique approach in this respect is entirely dependent upon close collaboration between all parties,” emphasised Jörg Amelung, co-founder and future Managing Director of Ledon OLED.

Along with the production of OLED panels, Ledon OLED will in particular be developing and manufacturing complete OLED lighting solutions including extremely robust contact and light-conducting elements, as well as concepts for addressing large-scale OLED systems. Ledon OLED will be drawing up a strategic agreement with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft governing pilot production on the Fraunhofer IPMS pilot line in Dresden. This world-beating production line can turn out high-efficiency OLED panels on 370 x 470 mm2 substrates with a cycle time of three minutes.

The Directors of the Fraunhofer IPMS, Prof. Hubert Lakner and Prof. Karl Leo, have hailed the foundation of Ledon OLED as a major milestone on the road to a European OLED industry: "Merging the manufacturing expertise of the Fraunhofer IPMS with the experience of a leading provider of professional lighting solutions like the Zumtobel Group will greatly accelerate the market launch of high quality OLEDs for lighting applications and provide key impetus for the ongoing development of this technology of the future.”