Over the past few years, Taiwan LED manufacturers, from chipmakers and packagers to lighting-module and lamp makers, are beginning to see a payoff from energy efficient products. Taiwan has ranked No. 2 in the global LED supplier, with 2008 revenue estimated to reach around US$1.9 billion, or 26% of world’s total.

Cree, Inc.announces that it has entered into an exclusive patent license agreement, subject to some exceptions, with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC), a well-known and respected materials supplier.

Toronto-based Lumolar has developed unusual fish-shaped LED luminaries. The company says they can shift from looking like Chinese lanterns to changing colors like the aurora borealis, with the help of LED solutions support provided by Future Lighting Solutions.

Recently, Taiwan’s No.1 LED chipmaker Epistar Corp. entered into alliance to tap LED lighting market with Delta Electronics Inc. Both companies’ executives have confirmed reports related to their cooperation on the lighting business. Delta has pledged to buy its partner’s chips.

The incandescent bulb is about to become obsolete is lost on the vast majority of the public. The phase-out begins in three years as part of the energy bill signed in 2007. They will be edged out by LEDs. So light bulb makers have to revamp some plants, shutter others, and invest enormous sums of money in preparation for a technological shift.

Recently, Leadis Technology, Inc., announced sample availability of the LDS8160, a new LED driver featuring its proprietary LED-Sense Temperature Compensation engine and its patent-pending PowerLite Current Regulator.

Luxo Corp. has developed a dimmable high-output LED ring light. It not only can maximize light output and distribution, but can prevente harmful glare and reflections, the company says this ring light can be used for a wide variety of inspection, assembly, and rework applications. Its pure-white LED light makes it well-suited for inspecting circuit boards, surface cracks and defects, welds, solder joints, flux residues, and hairline stress cracks.

Delta Electronics Inc., a world-caliber supplier of power supplies for mobile devices, has unveiled a series of LED lightings, showing its ambition to venture into the market. Bruce Cheng, chairman of Delta, stressed that his company has won several orders for the new product line and is scheduled to start mass production and delivery in the first quarter and the second quarter, respectively. These orders have enhanced Cheng’s confidence in welcoming a promising year in 2009, despite the lingering global economic downturn.

ON Semiconductor has introduced a new 4-amp supercapacitor LED flash driver. The new CAT3224 addresses the emerging requirements for true high-intensity LED flash capability in high megapixel camera phones and standalone camera applications. The CAT3224 supercapacitor LED driver supports three key functions: precise supercapacitor charging control, management of the current discharge into the LED flash, and constant current for LED torch mode.

LED lighting has long held the promise of replacing energy-thieving incandescent bulbs without the drawbacks of fluorescent lighting and is finally taking hold in some sectors of the marketplace, says Chuck Swoboda, CEO of Cree Inc.

With recent significant advancements made in LEDs, some insiders claim may be the next wave in green lighting. LEDs are currently some of the most energy-efficient lighting, even exceeding compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

BBE LED, Shenzhen Bang-Bell Electronics Co., Ltd., as a China Top LED Street Light, LED Light Bulb, LED Traffic Light Factory, Manufacturer, Supplier and Exporter, have exported their LED Traffic Light to more than 80 countries till today, the photo is from one of their Mexico Project.

Intematix Corp., a phosphor-technology powerhouse, has begun to carve out its niche in the global LED lighting market by poaching expertise, acquiring facilities, and upgrading LED know-how. The program began last year, the company has opened its Taiwan subsidiary Intematix Technology Center (ITC) in Taoyuan County, northern Taiwan; acquired a phosphor factory in Suzhou, China; and named Jeff Lagaly, the former Global Sales Director for Cree Lighting, as Vice President of Sales, LED Lighting.

TT electronics Optek Technology has integrated four 1W LED die into a single assembly for multi-colour and monochrome solid state lighting and has developed a star-shaped red/green/blue/amber LED assembly with exceptional thermal performance.

Taiwan LED driver IC leading provider Macroblock has developed a 16-channel constant current LED driver - MBI5037. The company says the driver with smart power-saving modes and advanced error detection, is especially designed for long use of LED traffic sign applications with power saving up to 99%.

Minnesota-based Seasonal Impressions has launched new LED retrofit bulbs that will give commercial and recreational users more flexibility in their lighting displays.

Microsolar Corp. provides a copper-aluminum bonding Service and products. With the state-of-the-art technology called copper-aluminum bonding, Microsolar's LED lamps are allowed to input over 1.5Amp current into a 40milx40mil single chip with over 250 lm brightness.

Incandescent light bulbs could soon become a thing of the past. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy is pushing a "15-30" move aiming to replace 30%of lights in the country with more energy-efficient LEDs by the year 2015. The European Union and Australia have announced plans to ban sales of ordinary light bulbs and halogen lighting within the next four years.

The 14th annual Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition to be held June 9-12, 2009 at the China Import and Export Fair, Pazhou Complex, in Guangzhou, China, is adding a second LED exhibit hall this year. The LED booths were very popular last year, perhaps due in part to complement the growing interest in the China LED market in China.

Energy efficient lighting pioneer BluGlass Ltd and Itochu Plastics Inc. (CIPS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese trading company Itochu Corp. have signed a sales and distribution agreement. That means CIPS has won the sole rights to market BluGlass’s gallium nitride (GaN)-based LED manufacturing technology in Japan.

Hisense, as China's leading home appliance brand, was awarded the "Global TV Brand Top7" due to its 42 inch LED LCD TV at CES 2009. Hisense has now become the most famous Chinese color TV brands by winning this honor. Hisense was also awarded "Top 10 CE Brand From China" for the third consecutive year. At the same time, Hisense also successfully defended "Global CE Brands Top 50" award.

Wyked Illuzionz, the Maryland-based motorcycle LED light company, has been increasingly growing in popularity over the past several years and now they have two more “successes” under their belt.

Everlight announces that it will re-organize its Business Group structure to better position themselves to more aggressively pursue and support the requirements of the fast growing, global LED environment. The company will be divided into two divisions – a Production Business Group and Sales and Marketing Business Group.

Orb Optronix has measured commercially available solid state lighting products (SSL) that exceed risk group category RG-1 blue light hazard limits in the ANSI/IESNA RP-27.3-07 ‘Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamps, Risk Group Classification and Labeling’ standard along with IEC 62471:2006. The RG-2 categorization cautions against direct viewing of light sources with the human eye.

Taiwan LED driver IC leading provider Macroblock presents its newly developed MBI5037, a 16-channel constant current LED driver with smart power-saving modes and advanced error detection. MBI5037 is especially designed for long use of LED traffic sign applications with power saving up to 99%.

Lustrous International Technology, a lighting-class LED packaging company in Taiwan,is proud to announce the launch of two new series of high power LED products,Diamond and Crystal. Both two new series of high power LED are active and orders accepted from Jan, 2009. Both Diamond and Crystal are designed to meet energy star standards for manufacturinglighting-class LED fixture or light source at a significantly competitive cost.

Pacer International Ltd. announces the opening of a new sales office based in Cork, Ireland, continuing the company’s ongoing expansion.

High Power LED applied for automotive, aviation, decorative lighting, architectural lighting, theme parks, utility plants, street lighting, emergency lighting, safety lighting, industrial lighting, LED sign, Traffic signaling, LED lighting. Focusing on this market trend, Chang-Yu Technology has announced new competitively Sorting & taping machine for high power LED.

Validity Sensors, Inc., a privately-held biometric sensor company specializing in convenient, secure and reliable fingerprint authentication solutions, launched their latest innovation LED fingerprint sensor. Validity offers bi-color LEDs in fingerprint sensors, which enhances end-users’ experience by alerting them when a finger swipe is required and whether a swipe was accepted or not. The LED feature also allows for improved aesthetics and user experience for Notebook PCs and other consumer electronic devices.

Orb Optronix has measured several solid state lighting products that cause retinal injury if viewed directly. The products that exceed risk group category RG-1 blue light hazard limits in the ANSI/IESNA RP-27.3-07 ‘Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamps, Risk Group Classification and Labeling’ standard along with IEC 62471:2006. The RG-2 categorization cautions against direct viewing of light sources with the human eye.