The international photonics exhibition Photonics West 2018 is now the largest one in the US and has a lot of visitors. Taking place annually in San Francisco, Photonics West 2018 is the world's largest event for the optoelectronics industry. HPL is one of the well-known manufacturers of UV LED and IR LED. It has sufficient experiences in cooperating with chip manufacturers, developing packaging products and designing optical system. By combining the above three main advantages, it develops UV and IR packaging products. The UV products have been applied in the curing market. The irradiance can reach 8W/cm2 at a distance of 10cm. IR LED products have also been shipped to NB and applied in the facial recognition market. At Photonics West 2018, LEDinside had the pleasure to interview HPL’s President Charles Wei for sharing HPL’s current UV-C LED technology and the market development trend.

NEPCON JAPAN drew the conclusion on January 19, and the three-day exhibition featured solutions for smart home and intelligent wearables in addition to previously reported automotive electronics and automotive LED components. Other niche LED components and forward-looking LED applications are also eye-catching.

During the trade show, LEDinside visited exhibitions of equipment providers and attended conferences of fabrication process developers to find answers on all areas of Micro LED manufacturing. Below are displays and presentations made by companies that are expected to make crucial contributions to the Micro LED supply chain.

As one of Asia’s biggest trade shows for electronics design and manufacturing, the annual NEPCON JAPAN has been drawing huge crowds every year. The event gathers technology suppliers, R&D teams, and industrial experts from around the world, creating valuable opportunities for business collaborations and information exchanges. This year’s NEPCON JAPAN was held at Tokyo Big Sight from 17 to 19 January.

The development of technologies, components, theories, and practical experience for autonomous driving will determine when fully autonomous vehicles become mainstream and how we introduce it to our everyday life. In particular, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is one of the key technologies that helps monitor conditions of cars, capture surrounding situations, detect dangers and hazards and send warnings to make drivers stay alert before accidents happen. At NEPCON JAPAN 2018, exhibitors demonstrate their solutions for autonomous driving and ADAS.

Over years, NEPCON JAPAN has been gaining popularity under the organization of Reed Exhibitions Japan. There are 2,480 exhibitors from 34 countries at 2018’s show, with a 10% increase compared with the number in 2017, according to Yuhi Maezono, Show Director of Reed Exhibitions Japan. “The show will keep upscaling for 2019,” said Maezono.

With more complicated functions rolling out, future cars are programmed to be safer, more electric, automatic, and digitalized. This year, 1063 Japanese manufacturers and 242 foreign companies participate in NEPCON JAPAN. The number of exhibitors has hit a new high, compared with previous years. At the exhibition, many LED component makers show their ambition to enter the automotive market.

NEPCON JAPAN 2018, the largest exposition for electronics manufacturing and R&D technologies in Asia, started today (January 17, 2018) at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day show has grown larger with approximately 2,600 Japanese and overseas exhibitors presenting their advancements in both the East and West Exhibition Halls this year. The number of attendees is anticipated to hit 127,000. The show is ready to witness Asia’s first large-scale dialogue between tech companies in 2018.  

In recent years, the LED lighting industry reshuffle intensifies as the industry is highly competitive. Therefore, many companies increase the investments in other businesses, or pursue the development of product diversification, or shift to niche markets.

On November 2nd, the Premier Competitive Strategy Summit of China was successfully held at Shanghai Jiao-Tong University. Shanghai Wellmax Lighting Industry (WELLMAX) was invited to the Summit. WELLMAX’s CEO Yamin Wang, General Manager Katherine Qian, and VP of Supply Chain Phil Liu attended the event.

Combining the Internet of Things (IoT) and lighting is an emerging trend with strong market potential, according to speakers at a seminar held during the HKTDC Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) 2017.

Wang Yamin, WELLMAX’s CEO said: “Buyers from the Europe, Southeast Asia, Middle East, and South America are interested in our premium LED bulbs. We attach great importance to the quality of our products because it not only can affect the reputation of our client’s brand, but also can affect the everyday life of individual consumers. As the LED Bulb Expert, we do every bulb with passion and precision.”

A highlight event, the "Future Way of Outdoor Lighting" seminar of the second Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), was held on 26th October 2017. The seminar attracted around 200 key industry players to participate and exchange innovative ideas on cutting-edge outdoor lighting technologies.

Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 19th Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition), the second Hong Kong International Outdoor and Tech Light Expo and the 12th Eco Expo Asia concluded with close to 69,000 buyers from 151 countries and regions visiting the three events.

On 18th October, in 309A Meeting Hall in Beijing National Convention Centre, the Summit of Global Industry Development Trend of Intelligent and New Energy Vehicles, held by TrendForce and VehicleTrend, co-organized by Beijing Auto Square, supported by China Council for Promotion of International Trade Machinery Sub-Council, AutoKnow, Global Auto Media and China Electrotechnical Society, finished successfully.

Phase one of the 122nd Canton Fair ended on October 19th. As the largest trade fair, more than 25,000 exhibitors attended this major event. Shanghai Wellmax Lighting Industry (WELLMAX), as the LED BULB EXPERT, was the most popular company during the 5-day exhibition.

The 9th BioOpto Japan took place in Tokyo on 4-6th October 2017. Partaking in this event, noted UV/IR LED manufacturer HPLighting showcased its proprietary technologies that represent the company’s three major edges over others: deep knowledge in optical design, advanced technology supporting the development and manufacture, and close collaboration with chip makers. LEDinside interviewed HPLighting general manager Charles Wei at BioOpto Japan 2017 on the company’s progress in UV and IR LED development.

At Semicon Taiwan 2017, PlayNitride showcased both single-color and multi-color transparent Micro LED displays for wearable devices and game consoles. With a transparency level up to 50%, those displays, once upsized, can be used on more applications, which possibly leads the market of Micro LED to enlarge. On the other, in response to clients’ needs for fine-pitch LED displays, PlayNitride also gets Mini LED under development. Its Mini LED displays as of now are able to reach P 0.75 (0.75 mm per pixel pitch). The company attempts to develop Micro LED displays of larger sizes and anticipates to roll out its innovations in 2018 at the earliest.

Organized at the Langham, Shenzhen, on 19th July, Macroblock LED Display Conference 2017, gathering makers of displays and LED light sources worldwide, ended on a high note as it always did for the past 12 years. At this high-profile annual event, Macroblock’s chairman Dr. Li Chang Yang stated that display technology has been more widely used for various applications in different ways, such as displays in retail spaces, theaters, restaurants with immersive AR technology, and interactive applications.

Organized at the Langham, Shenzhen, on 19th July, Macroblock LED Display Conference 2017, gathering makers of displays and LED light sources worldwide, ended on a high note as it always did for the past 12 years. At this high-profile annual event, Macroblock’s chairman Dr. Li Chang Yang stated that display technology has been more widely used for various applications in different ways, such as displays in retail spaces, theaters, restaurants with immersive AR technology, and interactive applications. 

InfoComm Orlando 2017 was held at Orange County Convention from June 14-16, 2017. An estimated number of 148 LED display companies participated in the exhibition.

Faced with ever-growing competitions, global LED manufacturers looking for growth opportunities have turned their focus to niche markets. Automotive LEDs, for instance, are one of the few sizable application markets that are developing rapidly, while prices of related products have remained relatively stable. EVERLIGHT Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading player in the global LED and optoelectronics industry, has also put a special focus to this segment in recent years.

From 2011 to 2015, the global LED general lighting market undoubtedly underwent the most dramatic changes. LED lighting technologies witnessed unprecedented advancements during these 5 years, contributing to expanded range of applications: from indicator lights to lighting fixtures; from lighting fixtures to outdoor landscape lighting; and from display backlighting to general lighting. LEDs have been invincible and grabbed the market shares of incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, and HID lamps.

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) 2017 is held by Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES) and International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD). This year is LFI's 25th anniversary. LFI is currently the largest international lighting expo in the USA and attracts the most amount of visitors among international lighting expos. LFI is held once per year, and it takes turns being held in New York City, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. LFI is the grand event of luminaire industry in the North America.

LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) 2017 began on May 9th. Among the exhibitors, FSP, ranked as 10th power device supplier globally, provides smart & highly efficient, highly reliable, and customizable products & services. FSP would like to attract more manufacturers to collaborate together.

The long-awaited sale of LEDVANCE, originally the general lighting lamps business of German lighting giant Osram, to the Chinese investment consortium, consisting of the strategic investor IDG Capital, MLS, and Yiwu State-Owned Assets Operation Center (Yiwu), was finally completed on March 3, 2017. At the LFI 2017 held in Philadelphia, LEDinside met with LEDVANCE’s CEO Jes Munk Hansen to talk about the recent deal and its strategic position in the lighting market.

With over 10 years of experience in the lighting industry, U.S. lighting company Lighting Science brings to market advanced LED lighting products, and annual shipments for LED light bulbs have reached 50 million units. It also provides retail private-label LED solutions. In addition, the group has a well-established sales network, with products sold within U.S. major retail stores like Home Depot.  

Thailand Energy Efficiency Week 2017, the expo that features three major events of innovations and energy saving technology, including Thailand Energy Saving Expo, which exhibits energy saving products and technologies for the future; LED Expo Thailand, the largest showcase of LED lighting products in ASEAN region; and PCB Expo Thailand, a showcase of printed circuit boards and electronic components, opens today. More than 400 international companies, will be exhibiting a full collection of technologies and electric lighting innovations and electronics at Challenger 1, IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand during 11-13 May 2017.

Forest lighting, the brand name belonging to Chinese lighting giant MLS, was established in 2014. Thanks to continuous marketing and public relations efforts, the brand has gradually gained popularity among North American retailers and wholesalers, and has expanded its reach to emerging markets like Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Russia. At LIGHTFAIR International (LFI) 2017, Jian Ni, COO of Forest Lighting in North America, shared with LEDinside the development strategies of the brand. 

The 2017 Optics & Photonics International Exhibition (OPIE ’17) took place in Yokohama, Japan from April 19 to 21, which gathered leading technology providers and manufacturers who are seeking solutions. OPIE ’17 and IR+UV Expo were co-located with LASER EXPO, LENS EXPO, Positioning EXPO, Medical & Imaging EXPO, Space & Astronomical Optics EXPO and Industrial Camera EXPO. According to the organizer, exhibitors were mostly laser, lens, IR and UV packaging and application manufacturers. Attendees were buyers and manufactures who aimed to better understand the latest technologies and market trends. The Expo is considered a barometer of the state of the art in the industry.