Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are rapidly taking the place of older, less durable and energy-efficient lighting technologies around the world. As chemicals and materials are needed at all stages of the LED fixture's manufacturing process, chemical companies will play a critical role in the future success of the LED industry. The breadth of material requirements means that few market participants have visibility across the entire market, creating the need for a holistic vision of market potential.

Scientists from from Kings College London and UCL discovered in early April 20140 blue lights can restore muscles paralyzed by motor neuron disease and spinal cord  injury. A follow up report published recently by Wall Street Daily Editor-in-Chief Martin Denholm has confirmed the lights used in the study were actually blue LED lights.

Gloucestershire County Council in UK has decided to invest £ 21 million (US $35.77 million) to upgrade sodium streetlights to LEDs over a period of five years, according to a report by Gloucestershire Echo.

Philips Disney light product series launched to woo over children in late September 2013 will now be making its way into the Indian market, as the company’s India arm partners with Disney India, according to a The Times of India report.

Telensa (www.telensa.com), the market-leading ‘smart’ wireless street lighting control company, has appointed Burt Wallace to head up its North American operation in Atlanta, Georgia.

Global electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corporation, the industry leader in electronic component selection, availability and delivery, today announced a global distribution agreement with   SunLED, an industry leader in optoelectronic technology.

LuminAID is aiding disaster relief work across the globe in the form of packaged inflatable solar LED lights.

Just as the LED industry is getting comfy with the concept of smart lights, a new company Emberlight has stepped up the game with a socket capable of turning any dimmable light into smart lights--be it incandescent, halogen, CFL or LEDs.

As the LED lighting and backlight industry rebounds, Taiwan’s upstream and downstream LED manufacturers have all expanded to some degree, according to a Commercial Times report. Manufacturers including Everlight, Epistar, Lextar and Harvatek revenue are expected to grow during second half of 2014.

Shenzhen ChangFang Light Emitting Diode Lighting (Changfang Lighting) announced today the company’s Chairman and General Manager Deng Zichang has resigned from his role as GM.

China’s Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) has recently published LED regulations to improve the country’s product certification process. Adjustments have been made to the mandatory regulations to include LEDs, and will become effective starting in Sept. 1, 2014.

Philips will be speeding up the overhaul of traditional light business in favor of LED as more customers switch to energy efficient products, according to a Reuters report.

The markets GT Advanced Technology (GTAT) are involved in include LEDs, smart phones, and solar panels are all multi-billion dollar opportunities with accelerating growth. Each of these markets is driving demand for specialized crystals such as polysilicon, photovoltaic, and sapphire crystals.

Researchers at the U.S. Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) are now studying the impact of different types of lighting in military shelters on soldiers, according to U.S. Army report.

Revolution Lighting Technologies (Revolution Lighting), a leader in advanced LED lighting solutions, today announced that it has entered into a strategic distribution partnership with Ganga Hospitality (Ganga), a leading provider of equipment and financing to hotel, hospital, gas station and convenience store customers.

Major Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Everlight delivered a solid performance in 2Q14, and is likely to set new revenue records in the following quarter as the industry enters conventional peak season, according to a Money DJ report.

Philips lighting comparable sales increased 1 percent year-on-year. LED-based sales grew 43 percent and now represent 36 percent of total Lighting sales, compared to 25 percent in Q2 2013. The EBITA margin, excluding restructuring and acquisition related charges and other items, improved to 8.6 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage points year-on-year.

Recently, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and State Key Laboratory of Solid State Lighting (SKLSSL) held a meeting in Beijing to discuss the inception of LED specs, according to a Xinhua.net report.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will be changing LED bulb energy efficiency tests, according to a report from Chinese media Xinhua.net.

Taiwanese lighting manufacturer Everlight has released a statement that clearly shows the company’s aim of developing the Chinese lighting market, the statement also assured investors recent restructures were made to meet challenges ahead. The notice outlined the company’s intent to attract more distributors in the future.

Long hours of nighttime driving can cause eyestrain because while our vision adapts to the surrounding darkness, the sudden stabs of brightness from streetlamps can be irritating, distracting and even painful. Even as LED technology has transformed the lighting industry, bringing the promise of more energy-efficient road illumination, some fear that the new lights could cause even more troublesome, unsafe glare.

Targeting the US $5.6 billion indoor lighting market, Taiwan has recently set up an Organic Light-emitting Diode Lighting Commercialization Alliance (OLCA), according to a China Post report.

This week analysts forecast a potential setback for Apple as manufacturing issues might delay the launch of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 to 2015.  GTAT’s stocks have also been hurt by low sapphire yield rates at its Arizona plant over the last two weeks, as analysts from large financial institutes including UBS, CLSA and Canaccord Genuity mark down the company's investment ratings. Analysts from CLSA and Conaccord Genuity have suggested the limited sapphire yield will signal limited usage in the new iPhone models

Whenever innovative technologies emerge, speculators often will sail with the wind and urge for the technology’s advancement. They will also start listing the old technology’s flaws. In reality, there is nothing definite in new and old technology. By using innovative technologies for reference, old technologies can further advance, while immature new technologies might meet an early demise.

Over 80 percent of Chinese LED companies have reported good profits in first half of 2014, according to data compiled by Shanghai Securities News.

Philips is currently in talks with Google owned thermostat company Nest on integrating thermostats into smart bulbs, according to a Slash Gear report.

Under a new UK energy department plan to cut UK power consumption, British households might be paying out millions of pounds in energy bills to provide supermarkets and airports with free LED lighting, according to a Telegraph report.

Russian freight railway manufacturer UralVagonZavod (UVZ) has launched a prototype tram using smart LED lights ahead of the next World Cup games, according to a CNBeta.com report.

Nanoleaf, the LED bulb startup company that released that successfully kickstarted a campaign to fund a highly energy efficient bulb last year is now stepping up its game with a new dimmable bulb that is dimmer-free.

Once three market indicators that signal the arrival of the maturing LED industry are reached, clients will no longer be focused on energy efficiency anymore, a China-led.org report cited Taiwan LED Lighting Industry Alliance Secretary Horng-Ching Hsiao saying at Green Lighting 2014 in Shanghai, China.