2019 may not be a prosperous year for LED manufacturers given the market uncertainties resulting from the changing global politics. Yet, industry players continue their technology developments and expect Mini LED to revive the stagnant market. Mini LED, as an improved version of conventional LED, provides refined diming zones when serving as backlight and can be utilized in curved displays when coupled with flexible substrates. Since last year, several LED makers including Lextar have begun shipping Mini LED backlight products for high end applications such as gami...

Under the pressure of price competition and oversupply in the LED industry, LED producers worldwide have been devoting their efforts in organization transformation and reconstruction as well as focusing on innovative technologies. The development of Mini LED and Micro LED has been viewed as the new opportunity for LED firms. LEDinside has estimated that the revenue of Micro LED and Mini LED will reach US$1.38 billion by 2022.

Unity Opto, a Taiwan-based LED packaging company, has announced the issuance of up to 120 million shares for private placement as approved by its shareholders to introduce strategic partners. The Taiwanese OEM Wistron, reported its investment in Unity Opto through its subsidiary, ArFlex.

Global consolidated revenue of LiteOn and its subsidiary in August 2017 was NTD 18.62 billion, up 6% MoM and down 12% YoY. Because of the stable demand in the end market benefiting LiteOn’s core business, its consolidated revenue from January 2017 to August 2017 hit NTD 140.54 billion, down 2.4% YoY.

Taiwanese LED industry underwent significant changes in senior management including in leading LED manufacturer Everlight, Optotech, and Unistar Opto, reported Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times.

The intensity of patent wars heated up in the last two years, especially among leading manufacturers in the industry such as Cree, who has filed suits against Asian rivals from 2015-2016. In its latest case against Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto and its American client Feit Electric, the two defendants might be willing to settle the case with Cree.

Cree announced that it has received a Notice of the Initial Determination in U.S. International Trade Commission ("ITC") investigation No. 337-TA-947 (“Certain Light-Emitting Diode Products and Components Thereof”) in favor of Cree against respondents Feit Electric Company and its Asian supplier, Unity Opto Technology, on violations of trade laws for both patent infringement and false advertising.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto Technology and Sercomm Corporation, a manufacturer of broadband and wireless networking equipment forged a partnership for smart lighting R&D. After Toshiba authorized Unity Opto as its distributor in Europe, the company expected to expand market presence in Europe in the future, projecting approximately 30% revenue growth in 2016.

Osram, one of the leading lighting companies, has granted Taiwan’s Unity Opto Technology Co. Ltd. a royalty-bearing license to produce white LED packages under Osram core patents covering phosphor conversion technology. This technology is widely used in the LED industry for the generation of white light based on a semiconductor chip emitting blue light that is partially converted into one or more other colors by suitable phosphor materials.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto Technology received orders from the European market and will be shipping in total products valuing US $3 million to US $4 million in a single quarter, the company is targeting US $30 million shipment volume.

LED package manufacturer Unity Opto has formed a close partnership with B&Q in Taiwan, and is an OEM of the home improvement retailer brand’s LED bulbs. B&Q’s “Super Value LED Bulb” costs only NT $99 (US $3), which is less expensive than Philips’ US $5 light bulb launched in summer and nearing the lowest pricing benchmark of US $2.5 per bulb in U.S. The low- priced LED bulbs will ignite fierce competition in Taiwan’s domestic market, reported Economic Daily News (EDN).

LED package manufacturer Unity Opto revenues is expected to rise in fourth quarter, spurred by the launch of a distribution and OEM deal it sealed with Toshiba in March, reported Liberty Times.

Unity Opto’s consolidated revenue in July dropped 37.4% YoY to NT $500 million (US $15.79 million), according to a UDN report.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto has seen its revenue in May 2015 slide 30%, due to Dutch lighting conglomerate Philips aggressive pricing strategies.

Taiwanese LED lighting manufacturers revenues reached new heights last month, with Unity Opto, Edison Opto and Ledlink heading the trend, reported UDN.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto’s LED lighting order visibility has reached five months, according to a China Times report.

Unity Opto aims to ship 60 million bulbs by 2015, nearly doubled growth compared to 2014, according to a China Times report. 

Cree announced that the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has agreed to open an investigation into unfair trade practices by Feit Electric Company, Inc. and its Asian supplier, Unity Opto Technology Co., Ltd. The investigation includes allegations of infringement of 8 Cree patents related to LED lighting and Feit’s false and misleading advertising claims, including that certain of its products meet ENERGY STAR® specifications. The decision to open an investigation comes after Cree filed a complaint on January 12, 2015, requesting an investigation by the ITC.

Recent patent litigations launched by major LED companies aim straight at latecomers in Chinese and Taiwanese LED industry, who have insufficient patent portfolio. The LED market will be restructured to focus on major LED companies with extensive patent portfolio and technological strengths.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Unity Opto Technology (Unity Opto) is planning to retaliate against Cree’s recent patent infringement lawsuit, according to a Money DJ report.

U.S. LED manufacturer Cree’s recent lawsuit against Unity Opto and its luminaire client Feit Electronics will not impact the company’s revenue performance in 2015, a UDN report cited Unity Opto Spokesperson Jacky Wen saying.

Cree has filed complaints with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin against Feit Electric Company, Inc. and its Asian supplier, Unity Opto Technology Co., Ltd., to curb infringement on Cree’s patented technologies and to address Feit’s false and misleading advertising claims that certain of its products meet ENERGY STAR® specifications. The suits allege infringement of 10 patents related to LED lighting.

Upstream Taiwanese LED chip manufacturers including Epistar and leading downstream LED manufacturers Everlight and Lextar were upbeat about the industry’s growth in 2015, with most forecasting at least 20% growth, reported UDN.

Lextar Electronics set another new revenue record last month, after three consecutive months of growth drove up revenue by 14.7 percent YoY to NT $1.42 billion (US $50 million), according to a UDN report. On a monthly basis, the company’s growth in August was only up 0.3 percent compared to July 2014.

Unity Opto is optimistic about long term market development for LED lighting. The Taiwanese LED package manufacturer announced its plans to acquire a factory in the Wugu Industrial Park in Taiwan on April 24, 2014. The company will invest NT $1.23 billion (US $196.7 million) in acquiring the factory to expand its lighting production line. After expanding production capacity, it is estimated that monthly production will increase from 1 million units to 3 million units. 

Unity Opto March consolidated revenue grew 25 percent from February on the back of increased lighting and backlighting demands. Working days returning to normal in March allowed the Taiwanese LED package manufacturer to meet client order deadlines after Chinese New Year. The company’s indoor bulb order volume remains high.

Taiwan LED package manufacturer Unity Opto released their fiscal 2013 financial report on March 26, 2014. Increased backlight demands drove up revenue and the company’s profitability grew 170 percent compared to the year before. 

The LED industry has experienced unusually good performance during traditional slack season, according to a report by United Evening News. Backlight module manufacturers Unity Opto, Lextar, and Tekcore are optimistic as market demands for backlight rise. Benefiting from high resolution TV trend, TV backlight's high brightness demands have become even more evident, said industry insiders. Prices have stabilized following increase in luminosity despite fewer LED’s used and market polarization has become more evident as large companies expand. 

The LED outdoor lighting replacement trend is growing with over 600 cities in the U.S. already planning to switch old streetlights to LEDs, according to Commercial Times. New York plans to switch roughly 25,000 streetlights to LEDs by 2017, making it the largest undertaking in the North American market. Europe, China, and Japan are also initiating replacement projects. LEDinside estimates that compound annual growth rate will surpass 20 percent in 2014-2017, which will encourage lowered stock prices.

Taiwanese LED package manufacturer Unity Opto announced consolidated revenue for Jan. 2014 increased 23 percent to NT$ 560 million (US$ 18.49 million), compared to Dec. 2013 or 9 percent YoY. According to the company, as impact from 4Q13 low season is lifted, 1Q14 will reinitiate positive revenue growth cycle.