Established in 1983, few people aside from Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh could have envisioned the Taiwanese LED package manufacturer’s radical transformation. The company that started off with a capital of NT $ 5 million (US $170,000), and a factory of only 120 square meters, has become one of the top package leaders in Taiwan and an LED industry game changer.

Apple has applied for a new patent for the development of an LED based keyboard, according to Patently Apple. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published the company’s patent application on June 26, 2014. 

LG Display has announced plans to invest US $788.1 million in its OLED panel production line to meet growing global demand, according to Korean news source Yonhap News Agency. 

Osram and the Vatican Museums are deepening their lighting liaison. Both parties have signed a multi-year framework collaboration agreement regarding possible future projects. Osram is currently already equipping the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel with a new LED-based lighting solution. “We are very glad to continue our collaboration with the Vatican. This follow-up agreement underlines that we are offering high-end quality and innovative lighting solutions and underpins our role as the leading global lighting company”, said Christophe Poméon, head of Osram’s Luminaires Business Unit. “Our art and architecture present the most demanding requirements for light. Therefore, we are using outstanding lighting installations. With the opening of the Sistine chapel at end of October, the public can witness first impressions of this”, said Antonio Paolucci, Director of the Vatican Museums.

Semrock announced newest fluorescence filter product family with LED Optimized light engine sets. Three initial sets are available for Pinkel and full multiband configurations using popular LED light sources. Designed to be spectrally aligned with the output of popular LED light engines, all of the new filters offer the high performance and value you expect from Semrock filters.

Philips lighting products took top spot for brand image, according to the second round China lighting product manufacturer behavior survey jointly conducted by Trendforce’s research division LEDinside and consumer research specialist AVANTI in May 2014. Opple Lighting and NCV Lighting ranked top among Chinese manufacturers. The survey also revealed that LED lamp usage has increased to 40 percent from 24 percent in 2013. 

China based manufacturers Leyard and Kangde Xin Composite Material (Kangde Xin) are combining their manufacturing strengths to expand the display market by signing a cooperative agreement on June 25, 2014. 

EMC and COB packaging technology is becoming more common in the LED packaging field, with application volume gradually expanding. 

Apple’s Chinese suppliers have leaked that the new iPhone 6 will begin mass production next month, reported Bloomberg. Increasing competition from other smartphone makers may have pressured the company into early production. 

United Arab Emirates (UAE) moves to ban the sale of inefficient lamps starting July 1 in an effort to reduce energy bills and carbon emission. 

China based San’an Optoelectronics (San’an Opto) has signed a three year cooperative agreement with Honglitronics on June 24 in hopes of increasing domestic market share in the LED market. 

A team of researchers at Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) have developed aluminum nitride (AlN) substrate for high power LED. The project is backed by Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affair’s Technology Innovation Center, according to Taiwanese media source Micro-Electronics on June 20, 2014. 

China Fangda Group (Fangda) announced a day earlier that it will be investing RMB 100 million (US $) to establish a new energy subsidiary to develop LED industry technologies and other new energy technologies including photovoltaics and building integrated photovoltaics applications, according to a report by China Securities Journal.

A team of researchers in Japan have developed a new technology for creating GaN LEDs on glass substrate, according to Japanese media source Nikkei Technology.

SandlerResearch.org adds LED Market in South Korea 2014-2018 new industry report in its store. An LED is a semiconductor light source used for various applications such as general lighting, back lighting, and automotive lighting. LED lighting applications include residential, office, retail, hospitality, industrial, outdoor, architectural, and others. LEDs are gaining acceptance in these applications because of their greater efficiency and low cost. 

Novagant is a holding company that acquires entrepreneurial companies that have established or are expected to establish themselves as leaders and/or successful enterprises in various market niches. Recent acquisition of property rights that have the ability to reduce costs and improve product quality for the entire cannabis market has prompted this analyst report.

In the U.S., lighting accounts for approximately 23 percent of a hotel’s energy cost. To expedite and encourage savings, Hubbell Lighting announced today a new energy efficient lighting program to cut hospitality electricity costs by 60 percent, translating to a 5.58 percent increase in profitability.

In this latest lighting project entry by Adam Burton, Social Media Manager, Zumtobel Lighting introduces a new lighting display that “dances” to music beats. Famed Korean artist Sung Wan Kim uses his installation "I will dress you, howl bowel owl" to play with the mediums of light and sound. In collaboration with the musician David Michael DiGregorio (aka dogr), Sung Wan Kim has composed an audio piece using the works of poets such as Rainer Maria Rilke as a source of inspiration. A key component of the project - the lighting - was realized in cooperation with Zumtobel.

Soccer fans long anticipated 2014 Brazil World Cup games has taken the globe by storm. Many fans might have noted the LED ad displays decorating the 12 stadiums at Rio de Janeiro. The displays are actually the works of Chinese manufacturer Aoto Electronics.

A bureau under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs announced Tuesday, LED bulbs in the country will be required to undergo mandatory tests starting next month, according to a CNA report.

People in Chicago will soon see metal fixtures wrapped around light poles in several areas throughout the city this summer. They are not decoration however, but data-collection sensors. 

Chinese LED manufacturer Leyard Optoelectronic (Leyard) is showing ambition to expand in the European market with its latest funding round, according to a Shanghai Stock Information Service report.

Chinese LED manufacturer Tanlong Photoelectronics (Tanlong) announced the resignation of two executives during a board meeting on June 23, 2014.

As lighting consumption continues to increase, solid state lighting will become a major driving force for LED lighting growth that is expected to grow for several years, said Micheal Schmitt, Regional Marketing Director at Osram during LEDinside’s LEDforum at Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) on June 11, 2014.

Silicon Valley Venture Capital firm Sequoia teams up with Austrialian based smart lighting start-up LIFX with a US $12 million investment. The investment bumps up LIFX’s total funding to US $16.6 million. 

Leading Taiwanese LED chip manufacturer Epistar acquired bankrupt Taiwanese blue-ray CD and LaserDisc manufacturer Optodisc factory for NT $836 million, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report. Epistar plans to expand AlInGaP and InGaN LED production at the new factory site.

GT Advanced Technologies (GTAT) is reportedly using the US $578 million received in prepayment from Apple to expand sapphire production through establishing an additional facility. This new facility will produce roughly 20 million sapphire displays per year on top of the 200 million estimated from earlier reports, said Analyst Matt Margolis via BGR. 

The Brazil World Cup 2014, which officially kicked off on June 13, 2014 at São Paulo is entering climax. This year’s game has taken an interesting turn, since the last World Cup champion Spain was knocked out of the game. Sixty four years have elapsed since soccer nation Brazil hosted the global sports event. Although, the Chinese soccer team was disqualified from the World Cup this year, Chinese-made LED displays have successfully earned “front row seats” to the world’s top sports event.

Low price has been the key to success in the LED industry as market penetration rates rise. However, manufacturers will need to look into different avenues to keep ahead of the pack as price competition intensifies. Ray Chock, Philips Lumileds Sr. Director of Marketing and Business Development shared his insight on where the industry is heading in regards to the lumen per dollar trend during LEDforum at Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition 2014 on June 11 in China. LED bulb prices drop dramatically LED bulb prices have dropped over the past few year...

The roads throughout the city of Phoenix are being lit more efficiently through a more than 95,000-fixture conversion to LED street lighting---a move expected to save the Valley of the Sun upward of US $100,000 each year.