San’an announced on December 13th after market hours that the company’s subsidiary Fuzhou San’an received RMB 13.60 million (US $2.34 million) sapphire substrate subsidy under “three technology projects” from Anxi County Ministry of Finance

The new Hengqing district in Zhuhai City is considered a prime real estate location, but why is property here being sold at base prices? Bidders for the property are required to be parent companies of enterprises, and auction conditions are very stringent, analyzed He Bing, General Manager of Zhuhai Real Estate Company. The property here is suitable for office buildings, he said. "Great Aim Group plans to invest and develop LED visual light communication (VLC) technology in this area, so it’s easy to understand why they are capable of acquiring land at low prices."

Hon Hai Industry Co. (also known as Foxconn Technology Group) new demonstration plant in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China has begun production on Dec. 15, 2013, according to a report by Chinanews.com. The new plant which took four months to construct will be establishing production lines for TV, LED streetlamps and electronic whiteboards.

Samsunng Display has integrated the company’s OLED dicision and LCD division according to an announcement on December 11th.

Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (also known as Foxconn Technology Group) will begin developing a kind of high-precision OLED panels designed for current smartphones and tablets with narrow frames and mass produce the new panels in 2015, a OFWeek report quoted sources saying. The report noted Innolux Display Group, the world’s third biggest panel plant is a subsidiary of Hon Hai. Hon Hai’s entry into the OLED panel market is expected to intensify competition.

The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has launched a new collaborative initiative—the Light and Health Alliance—to bridge the science of light and health to practical applications, and to provide objective information based on basic and applied research. The Alliance is led by Dr. Mariana Figueiro, LRC Light and Health Program director and associate professor at Rensselaer.

Aqua-Quip manufactures a range of underwater LED lights to suit both concrete and fibreglass pools in flush-mounted and surface-mounted applications. The lights are simple to install and are suitable for new pool construction or for upgrading from existing lights.

This week the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces injecting US$ 10 million in energy-saving lighting technologies. In the Chinese market, will sapphire substrate stock prices continue its upward climb? Guoqing Tang, China President of LED BU, Samsung also projects future industry developments in 2014, while analyzing the “Three Worlds” phenomemnon in the LED industry. For more info please see below:

How long can LED lasts? As product prices are reduced, are LEDs lifespan also becoming much shorter? Some in the LED industry have boldly stated: “A person only needs a single LED lamp through their entire life. But in this fast paced consumerism era, do we really need such long lasting products? This is an issue the LED industry has repeatedly encountered during its development, so should we not reconsider LEDs market positioning? Is one LED lamp per person that can last through a person’s entire life span suitable for a consumer product like LED?”

Nationstar announced the company’s acquirement of two LED manufacturing patents as well as two district government subsidies for subsidiary Foshan Nationstar Optoelectronics totaling RMB 10.24 million (US $1.7 million) in a report on Dec, 12, 2013. 

Ledlink has received orders from U.S. luminary manufacturer Acuity Brands and German luminary manufacturer Zumtobel are estimated to lead to a growth of 30 percent next year, according to the company’s financial report released on the 12th.

Taiwanese package manufacturer Harvatek operational performance strengthened during the second half of 2013. The company hopes profit gain in 3Q13 will carry on into 4Q13, said Billy Wang, Chairman of Harvatek. The company hopes to maintain its profitable performance in 4Q13 , and aims to turnover previous losses to make 2013 a profitable year.

Amtech Systems, Inc. a global supplier of production and automation systems and related supplies for the manufacture of solar cells, semiconductors, and sapphire and silicon wafers, reported results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.

Fairchild Semiconductor announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $100 million of the company's common stock. Fairchild will repurchase shares from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions.

Philips Lighting blogger Monique Cousineau publishes an interesting Christmas lights trivia article on the lighting giant’s website. How many questions can you get right? Below is the full blog entry:

For Walking Dead series fans, Larson Electronics lists down ten products that can help boost your chances of survival in case of a zombie apocalypse. 

Rigid Industries LED Lighting® announced Thursday they hit an all-time record on the D-Series (Dually and D2 led lights) production line. With Rigid Industries’ new manufacturing facility in Gilbert, Arizona, and the increase in demand for the brightest most compact LED light on the market, they pushed it to the limit and beat the old record set a few months back.

LED package manufacturer Everlight announced on December 10th that the company revenue increased slightly during the traditionally slack season in 4Q, with November revenue reaching NT $2.26 billion (US $76 million).

Refond announced the establishment of a new holding subsidiary in Changzhou on December 10th, 2013 through joint investments with Li Yanpeng and Pan Hongme to strengthen the company’s competitiveness in the LED industry.

You might not know what "lattice-matched heterojunctions" are, but if you stopped at a new stoplight, played a DVD or used a laser pointer, you've made use of technology pioneered by Jerry Woodall, distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of California, Davis. Woodall's work, begun in the 1960s at IBM Research, is the basis for cheap, energy-efficient light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, and lasers.

Recently, China’s Urban Street Lighting Design Standard drafting group launched its first conference in Beijing. At the conference, 21 members included representatives from Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai’s Urban Lighting Management Centers, Shenzhen Lighting Environment Management Center, Philips, GE Lighting, Kingsun and others.

For those who want to make an original Christmas ornament this year, blogger craftycounterpart on Instructables website has unveiled the steps in making an awesome LED Death Star from Star Wars.

Guoqing Tang, China President of LED BU, Samsung, who is also Chairman of SEMI China LED Committee, gives an in depth analysis of the LED industry developments and categorization in this article. 

The maturation of LED technology and lighting applications have allowed flip-chips to become the star of 2013. Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) has been producing flip chip products for over three years. In 2013, the company expanded into the new field of flip chip packaging and its development direction has been technological vertical integration. Elimination of wire bonding during the manufacturing process can effectively reduce LEDs damage risks. GPI plans to continue introducing flip chips into special application markets for street lights, tunnel lighting, and factory lighting, which require products with high reliability.

The incandescent bulb's days are numbered; by Jan.1, 2014, most will have been phased out. And a typical 60-watt bulb costs more than three times as much per year to run as a similar LED bulb. The preliminary findings of Consumer Reports latest tests show that the newest and least expensive LEDs are shining bright.   

Market rumors surrounding Apple’s interest in OLED technology have resurfaced this week. The company has applied for an OLED patent with integrated thermal sensors, according to an article by Apple Patently. Although, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been repeatedly quoted as showing no interest in OLED technology in February during the Goldman Sachs Conference, the company just cannot ignore the advantages OLED technology presents in wearable electronic devices, such as the iWatch.

Xicato, a developer of LED modules, announced that Joe Li has joined the company as the Regional Sales Manager Greater China and will lead the company’s continued growth in a region where the market is maturing and increasingly seeking solutions that provide higher quality light and improved efficiency.

At the DOE Solid-State Lighting Market Introduction Workshop in November, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized non-profit organization Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) with Special Recognition as an LED Lighting Facts® program partner. They highlighted NEEP for its dedication to advance and promote the LED lighting industry through its project, the DesignLights Consortium® (DLC).

Xeleum Lighting announced the availability of its Cobalt Series high efficiency LED light fixtures. These fixtures provide more evenly distributed light and years of maintenance-free operation at less than half the energy cost of the fluorescent fixtures they are designed to replace. As with all Xeleum troffers, they meet the performance requirements the DesignLights Consortium (DLC) and are now included on the DLC Qualified Products List (QPL).

RAB Lighting announces the availability of LPANEL, its new line of LED panel fixtures. Designed with high performance and affordability in mind, the new LPANEL products deliver ultra smooth edge-to-edge light in a modern design. LPANEL breaks new ground in efficiency delivering up to 106 lm/W.