LED is a fast changing industry. Asian manufacturers have taken their own paths to confront the tide of change. Japanese manufacturers are actively seeking collaboration opportunities with Taiwanese manufacturers, while Korean LED manufacturer Samsung has gradually exited the global LED market. Chinese manufacturers on the other hand are expanding production capacity on the back of government support.

Access Fixtures has announced that revenue from sales of LED products has exceeded a growth of 100 percent in a year-over-year analysis. Continuous advancements in LED technology enable the use of LED lighting in an increasing number of applications. Categories that have seen the largest growth include LED bollard lights, LED wall packs, and LED flood lights. LED product sales now exceed 50 percent of Access Fixtures' total revenue.

Taiwanese major LED packaging manufacturer Everlight reported a consolidated profit of NT $8.52 billion for 2014 third quarter, hitting a quarterly record, with gross margin of 24.44%, net operating profit of NT$816 million and net profit of NT$726 million.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) used “bait-and-switch” tactics in negotiating a contract with sapphire-maker GT Advanced Technologies Inc. (GTATQ), guaranteeing itself “heads I win, tails you lose” terms, a GT executive said in an unsealed court document.

Insourced LED circuit board production culminates three-year investment and adds technology-rich capabilities that help meet customer needs faster. Transformation brings 120 new contract and full-time positions to the plant. Site continues to add new LED lines and expand capabilities, lighting cities and spaces from the Middle East to Latin America to some of the most recognizable towns in the U.S.

Rubicon Technology, a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical industries, today reported financial results for its third quarter ended September 30, 2014.

The supervisory board of OSRAM Licht has appointed Olaf Berlien as new chief executive officer (CEO). Berlien, 52, will take over his new function in January 2015. At the same time, Wolfgang Dehen will leave the company at his own request and by amicable agreement.

Philips Lumileds and Philips automotive lighting business will be rebranded under a new company name in 2015, said Sean Zhou, Regional Marketing Director, Asia, Philips Lumileds at LEDforum 2014, which took place on Friday in Taipei, Taiwan.

Osram has achieved its recently updated outlook for the fiscal year that ended in September 2014. Revenue rose one percent year over year on a comparable basis – meaning excluding portfolio and currency effects – and was more than €5.1 billion. The revenue share of LED-based products and solutions increased to 36 percent from 29 percent in fiscal 2013. In the fourth quarter, it reached already 39 percent. EBITA [1] excluding special items increased almost ten percent to EUR 449 million (US $) in fiscal 2014, translating into an EBITA margin of 8.7 percent, in particular due to positive effects from the OSRAM Push transformation program. 

German's Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)-funded joint project R2D2 will start in November 2014 aiming at the investigation of production-related processes and technologies for the manufacturing of flexible OLED.

 Quantum Materials Corp (OTCQB:QTMM) today announced it has signed an agreement with STAR Park that will quadruple the Company's Quantum Dot production space when the new state-of-the-art lab and offices are completed on or before June 2015. The Company is also recruiting to double its scientific staff effective January 2015.

Orion Energy Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance, energy-efficient lighting platforms, today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 second quarter and first half ended September 30, 2014.

Intematix Corporation, a leading manufacturer of phosphor solutions for LED lighting, today announced Jerry Turin as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer.  Most recently,Turin served as Chief Financial officer of Oclaro, which scaled to a peak of $600M revenue run-rate from $250M during his tenure.  Turin will direct the Company’s financial strategy and finance team.

The age of LED lighting is here. LED lighting has overtaken the lighting industry in recent years, and become a beacon of hope for the lighting industry. This is the result of collaborated efforts from the top to downstream manufacturer, the industry supply chain, and now it’s the time to embrace the “golden age” of LED lighting, said Chinese LED packaging manufacturer MLS General Manager Ji-Liang Lin while attending LEDforum 2014 held in Taipei, Taiwan on Oct. 24, 2014.

“The successful execution of our Accelerate! program continues to improve operational performance in most of our businesses. We are very excited by the vast opportunities in the HealthTech and Lighting solutions markets that we will capitalize on with the creation of two dedicated market-leading companies.

Digital Lumens, the leader in intelligent LED lighting, announced US $23 million in funding from new investors Nokia Growth Partners, Aster Capital, and Goldman Sachs, and current investors, Flybridge Capital Partners, Black Coral Capital, and Stata Ventures. Funds will be used to scale operations, expand product development, and increase sales and marketing as the company rapidly bolsters its global footprint.

AIXTRON, a leading provider of deposition equipment to the semiconductor industry, today announced financial results for the third quarter 2014 and first nine months of 2014.

Top Chinese LED manufacturer San’an Opto has swapped its shares in FOREPI for leading Taiwanese LED chip maker Epistar shares, the Investment Commission of Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced Tuesday.

LED prices will continue to fall over the next few years, but this is a phase that will probably pass, said Sean Zhou, Regional Marketing Director, Asia, Philips Lumileds at LEDforum 2014, which took place Friday in Taipei, Taiwan. Manufacturers aiming to improve profits will be increasingly turning towards cost-effective technologies, such as flip-chip LEDs.

Cree, a market leader in LED lighting, today announced revenue of US $427.7 million for its first quarter of fiscal 2015, ended September 28, 2014. This represents a 9% increase compared to revenue of $391.0 million reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2014. GAAP net income for the first quarter was $11.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, a decrease of 64% year-over-year compared to GAAP net income of $30.5 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, for the first quarter of fiscal 2014. 

The seal on confidential documents signed between Apple and sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) is expected to be gradually lifted in its bankruptcy case, according to a Bloomberg report.

Absen Optoelectronics, a global manufacturer of LED displays, announced the appointment of Christopher Backhaus, former Sales Director of Barco NV and Daktronics Inc. as its Regional Sales Director for the German Speaking Market with effect 1 October 2014. His experience in closely related businesses will be a valuable asset to Absen for the further expansion of the business.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Lextar has approved leading U.S. LED manufacturer Cree’s NT $83 million investment in the company during a recent shareholder meeting, according to several Taiwanese media reports.

With effect as of October 13, 2014 Osram has successfully completed the acquisition of Clay Paky, a leading provider of entertainment lighting for shows and events. All necessary approvals from the respective authorities have been granted regarding the acquisition. With this move, Osram will further expand its position in entertainment lighting. 

Universal Display Corporation, enabling energy-efficient displays and lighting with itsUniversalPHOLED® technology and materials, announced today that the company has been named to the Barron's 400 Index, a measure of the most promising companies in America. The Index is based on companies that perform exceptionally in 24 fundamental areas of fundamental performance.

Chinese LED manufacturers IPO applications remain a lengthy tedious procedure.

Since U.S.-based sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced Technology’s abrupt bankruptcy announcement last Monday, several law firms have asked investors to step forward.

India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) announced selling LED bulbs to households at very low prices, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The CEO of Apple sapphire supplier GT Advanced Technology, which recently filed for bankruptcy protection, might have known financial doom was looming, according to a latest report from Wall Street Journal.

Taiwanese sapphire manufacturer Tera Xtal Technology remained upbeat about claiming payment from the bankrupt U.S.-based MOCVD manufacturer GT Advanced Technology (GTAT), according to a UDN report. Tera Xtal held a press conference on Wednesday under Taiwan’s Gretai Securities Market request to explain to investors the impact from GTAT’s bankruptcy filing.