According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research “Smart Lighting Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020,” global smart lightning market was valued at US$  21 billion in 2013, growing at a CAGR of 15.9% from 2014 to 2020 to account for US$  56.62 billion in 2020.

Winners in the Indoor and Outdoor categories of the seventh annual Next Generation LuminairesTM Design Competition were announced today at LIGHTFAIR® International in New York. Sponsored by DOE, the Illuminating Engineering Society, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, NGL promotes excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED products for commercial lighting applications.

WeMo®, the Internet of Things brand from Belkin International, and Cree, the leader in LED lighting, today announced a strategic relationship to integrate Cree® LED lighting solutions with the WeMo ecosystem. Under the agreement, the first WeMo-compatible Cree bulb will be the Connected Cree® LED Bulb, with a potential to expand to other offerings in the future. 

Providing a distinct aesthetic advantage, LEDs are allowing designers to reinvent lamps and light itself in ways that once seemed impossible. The innumerable benefits of LED lights in terms of energy-efficiency, environment-friendliness, cost-saving, zero UV emissions and design flexibility opens new opportunities for architects & interior designers, urban, town and smart city planners, project management consultants, building contractors and Lighting engineers. The technological potential of LEDs is only beginning to be realized and with the right blend can provide designers and town planners the flexibility to adjust and adapt the ambiance of indoor, outdoor, commercial and residential spaces with minimal energy consumption.

Retailers eager to more effectively communicate with in-store shoppers can now use LED lighting to do so, as Acuity Brands announced the commercial availability of its lighting-based ByteLight™ Services for indoor positioning.

Beth Comstock, President & CEO, GE Business Innovations, today shared GE’s plans to engineer intelligent, color-changing LED lighting compatible with Apple’s HomeKit during GE’s Connected Future event, unveiling LED-enabled Intelligent Environments capabilities for cities, buildings and homes.

The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the competitive selection of nine solid-state lighting (SSL) projects to receive funding, in response to the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) DE-FOA-0001171 (“Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technology R&D – 2015”). These one- to two-year projects will focus on all three existing DOE SSL R&D program areas:

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., announced today that it will demonstrate for the first time, the company's new open, secure, and connected platform for smart lighting at LIGHTFAIR International 2015, being held in New York, May 5-7.

To become a leading country in the LED industry, Taiwan should not step down in patent lawsuits, a Chinese-language Liberty Times report quoted Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh saying.

In part one of the Dazhaoming article last week, a couple of Chinese LED experts offered their perspectives on how low pricing strategies would affect Philips. In this second half more experts offer their valuable insights.

Europe and Asia have been driving advanced automotive LED lighting developments, while the technology has been slow to pick up in the U.S., due to more stringent legal requirements, reported New York Times.

Apple admitted tattoos can interfere with Apple Watch heart rate readings, according to numerous media reports including Tech Crunch.

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP (“Robbins Geller”) (//www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/rubicon/) announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of purchasers of Rubicon Technology, Inc. (“Rubicon”) (NASDAQ:RBCN) common stock in the Company’s public offering on or about March 19, 2014 (the “Offering”).

Lunera® Lighting announced that the company has filed suit in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) against EiKO Global, Keystone Technologies, Maxlite, Premium Quality Lighting, Revolution Lighting Technologies, SATCO Products and Topaz Lighting Corporation who are currently selling "knock off" versions of Lunera's Helen Lamp; the first plug-and-play LED replacement lamp for a 4-pin Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL), an innovative product designed and invented by Lunera.

Towards the end of 2014, Home Depot started to offer several Acuity Brands OLED luminaries, with prices starting at US $199. This was exciting - as these are the cheapest OLED lamps ever, and it is the first time OLEDs are offered at a major retail channel.

Imagine a future where our homes, businesses, and cities are powered completely by the most abundant and unlimited energy resource on earth: the sun. Harry Verhaar, the Philips Lighting Head of Global Public and Government Affairs, is doing just that by creating a blueprint for a future lit by solar-powered, energy-efficient lights. In 2003, Verhaar started the global initiative to phase out inefficient lighting technology in favor of LED lights and has since led Philips to become a world leader in the solar-LED market. With the recent release of PHILIPS NEW LINE OF CONSUMER SOLAR-LED LUMINAIRES, we spoke with Verhaar about the future of solar light and how Philips is playing a role in such an important endeavor.

Nichia plans to appeal Michigan jury decision to invalidate LED patents. Everlight's victory in the U.S. court could take down Nichia patent barrier in the North America market, and open up the export market gates for Asian LED manufacturers, said LEDinside analysts. The company also announced it had won two patent infringement lawsuits respectively the joint lawsuit filed by Everlight and Emcore, and a second lawsuit by Bluestone Innovation.

Recently, at an event in Hangzhou, China, Philips announced its future LED tube prices in China will match Chinese rivals Foshan Lighting products or might even be priced lower than MLS, reported Chinese-media Dazhaoming.

Previously, LEDinside reported Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association had been striving to include LED lighting products as tariff exempt items at World Trade Organization (WTO) Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA) negotiations.

Epistar Chairman B.J. Lee upheld a positive outlook for the LED industry in 2Q15, following surging orders in May, reported UDN.

Three out of six Chinese LED lighting manufacturers found themselves in an“awkward” financial situation in 2014, with many reporting plunging net profits in their recent fiscal report.

Osram is systematically tackling its realignment. At yesterday’s meeting, the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht gave the green light for a mandate to examine the carve-out of the general lighting lamps business. As an independent entity, the business could operate more freely on the market and realize strategic options, such as for example partnerships, more easily. The businesses with opto semiconductors, automotive and specialty lighting as well as luminaires, lighting systems and solutions would as a result form the future core business of Osram. With this move, the company will increase its focus on growth, innovation and technology leadership and addresses the different dynamics and requirements in the changing lighting market.

People with intrinsic sleeve tattoos or wrist tattoos have complained Apple Watch failed to function properly, reported several tech media.

At today’s meeting, the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG extended the contract of Chief Financial Officer Klaus Patzak (49) by five years until 2021, effective from April 1, 2016. Patzak, who holds a doctoral degree in business administration, has been a member of the Osram managing board since April 2011. Before that, he was Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at Siemens AG. “We are very happy to continue our work with Klaus Patzak. He had an essential part in bringing Osram’s transformation forward during difficult times and will now also accompany the company’s strategic realignment with his expertise,” said Peter Bauer, chairman of the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG. Additionally, the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG today gave the green light for a mandate to examine the carve-out of the general lighting lamps business.

On the occasion of the forthcoming World Fair, Milan has taken the decision to become the first major Italian city to upgrade its road lighting to LED technology. The majority of over 140,000 luminaires were produced by the Italian luminaire manufacturer AEC Illuminazione and are equipped with the modern Optotronic 3DIM light management system from Osram. The new installation consumes less than half the power of the previous solution. “We're proud to accompany the city of Milan on its path towards an energy-efficient future with our pioneering technologies,” said a highly pleased Geert van der Meer, CEO of the LED Lamps & Systems business unit at Osram.

China’s “One Belt, One Road” policies spurred Lumileds to construct a new LED autmotive bulb production line, reported National Business Daily.

Despite delivering strong sales in its LED business, Philips profits in 1Q15 declined 28% due to slowdown in its health business, reportedFinancial Times and Marketwatch.

Marine ecosystems can be changed by night-time artificial lighting according to new research published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. The results indicate that light pollution from coastal communities, shipping and offshore infrastructure could be changing the composition of marine invertebrate communities.

Panasonic Corporation today reported its consolidated financial results for the year ended March 31, 2015 (fiscal 2015).

OLEDWorks, the leading U.S. OLED light engine and panel manufacturing company announced that it reached an agreement  with Royal Philips , the global leader in lighting, to buy selected parts of its OLED light source components business.