Taiwanese OLED manufacturer Wisechip and a research team from National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) intend to commercialize long-life economic OLED candle light by 2017, reported Taiwanese media Great News.

The OLED luminaire co-developed by the two organizations received a Lighting Award from the International Dark Sky Association.

According to a Chinese-language Liberty Times report, the organizations receivedNT $20 million financial subsidy over the last two years under Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs Industrial Value Creation Program.

The OLED panels will enter mass production by 2016, said professor Jwo-Huei Jou, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTHU. Compared to first generation panels, the new OLED panel lifetimes has been raised by five to ten folds to reach 30,000 to 50,000 hours.

The new generation candle light OLED panels will be priced at around NT $ 3,000 (US $91.41) when launched on the market, added Jou.

According to Jou, who led the OLED research team in NTHU, the candle light panels could propel Taiwan’s optoelectronic industry into a NT $4 trillion lighting market, and light up the world with “blue-light free” lighting.

Blue-light free luminaires and OLED panels could improve lighting features, and be beneficial to eyesight, said Jou. Additionally, it could reduce the negative impact blue-light can have on human health, such as disrupting the circadian rhythm, reducing insomnia and more. These lights could also reduce the impact on the environment, and ecosystem, and cut light pollution during the night. Additionally, blue-free light is also better for preserving artworks and artifacts.

As the lighting industry becomes increasingly challenging, it will be important to focus on technology and expertise for companies to differentiate themselves and acquire a competitive edge in the industry, said Wisechip’s General Manager Jian-xun Chen. It will also be important for companies to collaborate with academics and government agencies to advance industry technology. The company has been working with NTHU on the OLED project for many years, and financing from MOEA has helped the company advance its technology significantly.