Zumtobel announced plans of slashing 600 jobs, about 8 percent of its workforce to double operating profit margin by 2016 to 2017 and stay competitive against Asian manufacturers, according to a Reuters report.

German lighting manufacturer Osram Licht will be facing more challenges in 2014 as the company restructures its lighting business, according to a report by Reuters.

EEPCA, the European Electrical Products Certification Association, in cooperation with LightingEurope, today announced the launch of ENEC+, the first pan-European mark capable of certifying the initial performance of traditional and LED luminaires. The new performance rating provides the market with certification as to the compliance of LED light fixtures and other luminaires, proving compliance with European safety standards and ensuring the reliability of their stated performance characteristics at the beginning of their life cycle.

Each April 2, 2014, Autism Speaks celebrates Light It Up Blue along with the international autism community, in commemoration of the United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day.

Market listed companies have released their March revenue reports this week with the LED industry coming out on top, according to an article by Economic Daily News. LED manufacturers had unusually good performance in January and February, a traditionally slack season for the industry. The growth trend continued into the peak season where it picked up pace in March. Order visibility already extended to 3Q14. The second half of this year is anticipated to be smooth for the industry. 

Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) has been devoted to developing flip-chip packaging recently. The Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer built a flip-chip package production line in 2013 to strengthen product integration. 

The consumer electronics market, and the LED driver market in particular, have been developing rapidly in recent years. These markets are demanding power supplies/drivers with lower power consumption in shrinking form factors, as well as ultra low cost. Furthermore, due to the ever-increasing requirement for improved power quality, the use of power factor correction (PFC) circuitry for these devices is almost mandatory. 

Technology improvements for general service lighting, driven by federal efficiency standards, are leading to increased reliability and bulb life. As efficiency increases, residential electricity consumption for lighting declines over time. Although the initial purchase price is higher for more efficient technologies than for traditional bulbs, significant savings are achieved over the life of the bulb (also called a lamp).

The biennial Light+Building trade fair in Frankfurt is the largest global lighting exhibition. The six day long fair opened on March 30th and will run till April 4th, 2014.Similar to 2012, the lighting exhibition is categorized into different topics, which include outdoor lighting, lighting fixtures, modules, and innovative LED technology. 

Panasonic will be closing its OLED business in April 2014, according to report by Japanese news agency Kyodo News.

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Ledtech recently released their fiscal 2013 financial report. The company benefited from strong growth in profit margin in both their Chinese white household product and lighting product business, which drove up revenue in 2013.

Taiwan has seen an uptick in LED street light replacement activity as of late. Last year, around 25,000 street lights were replaced during a street light replacement project across five major cities in Taiwan. An additional 30,000 street lights are anticipated to be replaced this year, according to the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

The joint facility owned by Apple and GT Advanced Technologies in Mesa, Arizona is expanding, said Apple Insider. The number of buildings and facilities on the 83-acre plot of land is growing, perhaps to accommodate higher yields for products yet to be announced. 

Ahead of the upcoming Lighting + Building 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany, many companies have unveiled products that will be showcased at the show. Korean companies LG and Samsung have announced plans of launching of smart light products, while Cooledge Lighting’s flexible light sheet has caught the attention of some industry insiders. Whether the same trend of smart light, OLED technology, horticultural lighting and street light seen at TILS 2014 will also be seen in Germany remains to be seen.

Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) has released their fiscal 2013 financial report. Revenue in 4Q13 benefited from introduction of flip-chips into street lights, lifting the company out of eight consecutive quarters of losses. In addition, improvements to product portfolio have drove up profit margin. 

CEA-Leti will demonstrate its new prototype for wireless high data rate Li-Fi (light fidelity) transmission at Light + Building 2014 in Frankfurt, Germany, March 30-April 4. The technology employs the high-frequency modulation capabilities of light-emitting diode (LED) engines used in commercial lighting

XNOVA COB LEDs released to mass production; industry best CRI up to 98 with AccuWhite technology Billerica, MA (February 25, 2014) - Luminus Devices Inc., a global manufacturer of high-performance LEDs, announced today that its flagship XNOVA white Chip-On-Board (COB) products reached full mass production while setting another benchmark with industry-leading efficacy for both cool and warm white. Typical performance was measured at up to 145 lm/W at 5000K, and 132 lm/W for 3000K at room temperature. Hot lumens per Watt at 85C, a more representa...

Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer FOREPI announced their fiscal 2013 financial report. The company reported losses and was hit hard during the second half of 2013 when backlight demands dropped sharply. 

The LED industry performance has been much better than last year, demands have been pretty good for backlight, lighting and other components, said Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh. In addition, Everlight’s acquisition of German luminaire company WOFI in 2013 will allow Everlight revenue to break new records in 2014.

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.