Lite-On Technology announced their fiscal 2013 financial performance today. The company’s fourth quarter 2013 consolidated sales reached NT$59.36 billion (US $1.9 billion), up 12 percent YoY and 4 percent QoQ, hitting a 10-quarter record high.

Taiwan LED package manufacturer Unity Opto released their fiscal 2013 financial report on March 26, 2014. Increased backlight demands drove up revenue and the company’s profitability grew 170 percent compared to the year before. 

Cree, Inc. records another significant LED milestone with the demonstration of 303 lumens per watt from a white, high-power LED. Reaching the landmark achievement much faster than previously believed possible, this result surpasses Cree’s previous R&D industry-best of 276 lumens per watt announced just over a year ago.

SATCO Products has recalled their KolourOnce brand LED lights due to cases where the metal housing/lens assembly separates from the bulb's base and falls. This poses a risk of injury from impact to bystanders.

ForceField Energy Inc. announced the signing of a letter of intent ("LOI") to acquire American Lighting & Distribution ("ALD"), a commercial lighting manufacturer with over 20,000 installed customers and standing relationships with many of the major California utility companies, including Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Their customers include many prominent and recognizable companies including over 100 hotels, 300 schools, and over 200 auto dealerships. The closing of the transaction is expected to occur on or before May 1(st) 2014.

Demand for CCFL has been hit hard by LCD TV backlight’s gradual conversion to LEDs. Japanese CCFL manufacturer Sanken Electric’s revenue will drop further this year as demand for CCFL dries up. The company therefore announced on March 25th after hours on the Japanese stock market, that they are ending their CCFL business.

Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) 2014 was bigger than ever this year, held jointly with LED Taiwan for the first time. Organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA, TILS 2014 was held at the Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei from March 20-23. It showcased over 333 manufacturers and attracted around 16,000 visitors from around the world during the four day show. 

International Lighting manufacturer Panasonic has been active in strategizing the OLED lighting market. Their OLED panels already have a luminous efficacy of 110lm/W, said Research Director Takuya Komoda. As mass production is driving down costs, OLED use in office lighting is anticipated to spur a new replacement trend in 2014-2015. 

“OLED lighting has a bright future” was a common theme at the Solid State Lighting forum 2014 where many manufacturers touted the advantages of OLED technology in comparison with LED. Among the many advocates was Manfred Weigand, Global OLED lighting Marketing Director for Merck. According to Weigand, a future where OLED becomes a true competitor with LED is absolutely obtainable. 

The SSL industry has seen substantial growth recently that is only to increase over the next few years. During the Taiwan Solid State Lighting forum at Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) 2014 on March 20th, industry experts shared their insight on the direction the SSL industry will take in the future. Panelists discussing the future development and challenges of SSL included Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Director and Professor Robert Karlicek, Jr, lighting designer and Director of Professional Lighting Designers’ Association James Wallace, Research Director for Panasonic Takuya Komoda, Chairman of Lextar Electronics David Su, and Vice Chairperson of International Affairs Committee Michael Ng.

LEDs are no longer just for lighting. In recent years, LED technology has spread into the horticultural industry. Differing from traditional incandescent bulbs, LEDs are able to be designed to mimic sunlight and give off wavelengths necessary for plant growth. This allows for larger yield and year round harvesting. The past few years has seen a growing trend in horticultural lighting, which was evident at this year’s Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) 2014. 

Delta participated in the Taiwan Int'l Lighting Show 2014, held from March 20th to 23rd in Taipei by unveiling a variety of intelligently-controlled LED lighting solutions that realize the concept of green cities and green buildings by maximizing the energy efficiency of lighting systems. Such cutting-edge technology became the limelight of the exhibition and caught the attention of the Vice President of the Republic of China, Mr. Den-Yih Wu, who learned about our lighting solutions personally from Delta's Chairman Mr. Yancey Hai.

Daintree Networks, Inc., the leading provider of open, networked wireless solutions for smart building control and energy management, and LG Electronics USA today announced they have teamed to create a fully integrated LED lighting solution with wireless control for commercial settings. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has recently issued a notice that Ace Hardware has recalled LED clamp lights due to shock and fire hazards. The consumer group warned consumers should stop using this product unless otherwise instructed, and noted it is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Price drop for LED lighting products has been a huge trend recently. One way in which manufacturers are able to reduce cost is through HV LEDs. LED manufacturers have been actively developing these products to stay competitive in the market. 

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Everlight has recently released the company’s fiscal year 2014 results. The company benefitted from lighting and backlighting demands in 2013 which drove up revenue. 

The pace in which flip-chips are integrated into lighting and backlighting products in 2014 has drawn the attention from the industry. LED package manufacturer Epistar showcased their new G9 capsules which use Pad Extension Chip (PEC) and HV LED technology during the Taiwan International Lighting Show (TILS) 2014 last week. 

With LED lighting applications reaching maturity, many countries have begun replacing existing street lights with LEDs. Space for development of LEDs is quite large as global penetration rate has not reached 5 percent yet, said Andy Liao, CEO of Leotek Electronics.

Following in Philips footsteps, LG Electronics recently announced on the company’s Korean website plans of launching smart LED bulbs that can be controlled via mobile phones.

LEDinside editorial team was excited to attend the Taipei International Lighting Show (TILS) 2014 this year in Taipei, Taiwan. Some market trends observed at the show were increasing focus on smart lighting products, and Zhaga labeled products. It was Zhaga Consortium’s first time at the show. LEDinside’s analysts also successfully conclude seminar in Shanghai and offer insight to five top LED trends this year. 

Sapphire substrate price uptick has built up momentum for a while, according to a recent Commercial Times report. Sapphire substrate manufacturer’s price quotes for 2Q13 were up 3 percent, but LED die manufacturers have not accepted the price increase demands so price continues to fluctuate, said FOREPI Chairman Chien Fen-ren. 

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NEMA’s Lighting Systems Index gained traction during 2014Q4, increasing by 1.8 percent compared to the previous quarter. The index increased 4.7 percent on a year-over-year basis. Index components for emergency lighting, fixtures and miniature lamps posted gains, while ballasts and large lamps retreated q/q. Overall performance during calendar year 2013 placed the index nearly 17 percent above the depressed level of the Great Recession during 2009.

Rubicon Technology, Inc., a leading provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor and optical markets, announced the commencement of an underwritten public offering of shares of its common stock by selling stockholders. The offering is subject to customary conditions and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or as to the actual size or terms of the offering. 

Leadray, Taiwanese LED street light manufacturer, opened a new office in Taipei on March 17th at the Taipei World Trade Center. The company successfully won domestic bids for street lights in 2013. Using their past experience and advantages in LED lighting, Leadray plans to actively improve the Southeast Asia and Central American markets in 2014, which lack in infrastructure and electricity.

March is a big month for LED lighting exhibitions. Taiwan International Lighting Show and Light + Building will open later this month and have already garnered much attention from the market, according to Economic Daily News. The LED industry has rebounded this year, with February revenue growth substantially higher compared to last year.

The LED industry has been engulfed in a wave of M&A as it moves into the lighting era. The past few years have been an intense restructuring period for Taiwanese LED chip manufacturers, said Chein Fen-ren, Chairman of FOREPI. The M&A wave has recently hit Chinese LED manufacturers and Chein estimates that within two to three years, Chinese manufacturers will be whittled down from the current 20-30 to only five. 

AIXTRON SE, a leading provider of deposition systems for the semiconductor industry, has launched operations with a new R&D cluster that demonstrates the core processes used to produce organic semiconductors. This enables the various processes for the deposition of organic thin-films which are required for the manufacture of OLEDs and flexible electronics to be demonstrated efficiently and under industrial production conditions.

Royal Philips, a global leader in lighting, announced that it has entered into agreements to acquire 51 percent of General Lighting Company (“GLC”), a major lighting company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”), from a consortium of shareholders that include Alliance Holding Ltd. (“Alliance”), the Hejailan Group, and The Carlyle Group.

Flip-chips various features are now also being valued in the mobile application market, said FOREPI Chairman Chien Fen-ren during Leadray Energy’s Taipei office opening ceremony on March 17, 2014.