Leaders in the LED industry have been supportive of Epistar’s decision to scale down production capacity, the Taiwanese company has frozen nearly a quarter of its production capacity and initiated the largest scale down since its founding, reported China Times. This move could lower increasing cost pressures from depreciating old equipment, but at several large manufacturers shareholder meeting last week, Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh and Unity Opto’s Chairman Alpha Wu supported Epistar’s move, and from a chip buyer perspective announced chip prices had reached rock bottom.

 Investments of around EUR 2 billion (US$) planned in research and development by 2020.  Additional EUR 1 billion intended for the construction of a new LED chip plant by 2020.  “Diamond” initiative promotes growth and sustained enterprise value Until 2020, average annual growth rates of 8% for revenue and 9% for EBITDA expected

Plessey announced UK’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) has officially granted £6.7 million (US $10.26 million) towards the expansion of the Plessey LED manufacturing facility in Plymouth, England. 

As part of its restructure efforts to raise LED profit margin, Panasonic will be shutting down its LED manufacturing factories in Indonesia while moving production to Japan, reported Nikkei Asian Review.

Veeco Instruments announced today that KaiStar Lighting, based in Xiamen, China has ordered multiple TurboDisc® EPIK700™ Gallium Nitride (GaN) Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) systems. KaiStar, a joint venture between Epistar Corporation and Shenzhen Kaifa Technology Co., Ltd., will use the EPIK700 systems to ramp production of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for the general lighting market.

Insourced LED circuit board production culminates three-year investment and adds technology-rich capabilities that help meet customer needs faster. Transformation brings 120 new contract and full-time positions to the plant. Site continues to add new LED lines and expand capabilities, lighting cities and spaces from the Middle East to Latin America to some of the most recognizable towns in the U.S.

Levent Touter, Senior Field Marketing Manager of  Aixtron discussed innovative MOCVD solutions and developments at LEDforum 2014, hosted by LEDinside last month in Taipei, Taiwan. The German MOCVD manufacturer's  R&D investment reached nearly US $100 million annually, and has recently sealed a deal with China’s top LED manufacturer San’an Opto to sell 50 MOCVD equipment.

The phase-out of traditional incandescent bulbs in the U.S. and elsewhere, as well as a growing interest in energy efficiency, has given LED lighting a sales boost. However, that trend could be short-lived as key materials known as rare earth elements become more expensive. Scientists have now designed new materials for making household LED bulbs without using these ingredients. They report their development in ACS’Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Chinese LED manufacturers scaled up production again, according to a Liberty Times report. German MOCVD manufacturer Aixtron announced it received 50 MOCVD orders from major Chinese LED chip maker San’an Opto. The new equipment will be shipped and installed by fourth quarter 2014. The rebounding LED industry will be impacted if San’an Opto continues to expand production capacity.

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. 

Osram Opto Semiconductors is keeping pace with the constant growth of the market and switching its fabrication of red, orange and yellow light emitting diodes to 6-inch wafers. The German high-tech company is therefore extending the fabrication of all large-wafer LEDs to the indium-gallium-aluminum-phosphide (InGaAlP) material system and therefore expanding its production capacity. The company began switching fabrication of blue LED chips back in 2011.

LED Taiwan’s 2013 Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) exhibition will be launched on Sept. 4, 2013 to present the latest technology from domestic and international LED manufacturers and suppliers. Main themes of forums hosted at the show will include “LED technology forum,” “2013 Automation Technology for Solid-State Lighting Workshop,” and “TechXPOT”. Over the last year, the LED industry has been more cautious in expansions, and has been elevating its oversupply situation.