To encourage innovative internal and external ideas, Osram has created a captive business accelerator called Fluxunit. In taking this step, Osram has set up a flexible company unit outside its established structures that will promote new and disruptive business ideas. At the same time, Fluxunit will serve as the central point of contact for external and internal start-ups. 

Osram intends to transfer some of the funds it earmarked for a LED chip fab to making IR LEDs for iris-scanning applications as demands from bankers, smartphone makers and VR systems rise, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Xcel Energy has started to roll out a large scale LED streetlight upgrade in Minnesota to cut back energy consumption, reported Startribune.

These days, LEDs are increasingly being used as replacements for traditional lamps and other electronic appliances. This makes sense, since lighting in general is responsible for up to 20% of the world's electricity consumption. As a result, it has become even more crucial to develop advanced LED materials and technology that produce more light while maintaining efficiency and reliability. In many ways, Taiwan is a leader in the LED industry, since it consistently places at the top of global rankings for LED component output value, while continuing to introduce leading-edge technological advancements.

In the green energy sector, solar, wind, and lithium batteries prices all plummeted, which has disrupted markets and transformed existing market orders, leading to new developments.

LG Electronics announced it will be launching a quantum dot TV, along with its lineup of OLED TVs by 2017, reported The Korean Herald.

The last phase of China’s incandescent bulb ban will be effective as of Sept. 30, 2016. China will ban the imports and sales of 15W and above general incandescent bulbs Starting from Oct. 1, 2016, and will make adjustments based on interim evaluation results, reported Yicai Global.

iView  and Forth Dimension Displays Limited (ForthDD) have entered into an agreement to develop, manufacture and sell Structured Light Projectors (SLPs). SLPs are a key component of 3D automated in-line optical inspection (3D AOI) equipment which is rapidly replacing 2D AOI in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacture. The ability to use 3D AOI to measure components in all three dimensions, on every PCB in real time, enables companies to improve yields and product quality while reducing wastage and costs.

The Supervisory Board of SUSS MicroTec AG has appointed Dr. Franz Richter (61) as a new member of the management board of SUSS MicroTec AG. His contract will run for a period of three years. Richter accepted the appointment to the management board as of today and he will assume his position as new CEO on September 7, 2016. Richter on the one hand stands for continuity in the strategic orientation of the SUSS MicroTec Group and on the other hand for innovation and technological leadership.

Philips Lighting, a global leader in lighting, today shared results from over 50 research projects carried out at its GrowWise Center during its first year of operation. This facility at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, the Netherlands aims to develop the blueprint for the city farm of the future and is the largest research facility of its kind with a total growing surface of 234 square meters. The research findings confirm that growth recipes can be successfully used to influence virtually any characteristic of crops, from taste, texture, smell and color to yields, growth speed, blossoming and much more.

The U.S. Department of Energy has recognized The Wendy's® Company and one of its franchisees, Wendco Group, for their partnership in the Better Buildings Challenge and for leadership in energy efficiency. The Wendy's Company has made a commitment to reduce energy consumption in U.S. company-owned restaurants by 20 percent per transaction by 2025.  Wendy's is also the first restaurant company to include franchisees in the Better Buildings Challenge. To date, six franchisees have joined and more than 570 company and franchisee operated restaurants are participating in this program. 

Lextar’s revenue in August 2016 rose 13.1% monthly to NT $1.18 billion (US $37.63 million), reported UDN.com.

Opple Lighting and Huawei signed a HiLink Protocol Smart Home Partnership Agreement at the Shanghai Expo Center on Aug. 31, 2016.

Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG are raising R&D investments in developing QLED displays, reported The Korea Times.

About 64% of Indian consumers do not know how to get their hands on government subsidized LED bulbs, a survey by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles revealed.

Philips has unveiled a 55-inch 4K OLED TV at IFA 2016 that it has coined 901F TV, reported the Verge.

Shimane University and a light maker have teamed up to make a protoype LED light worn on the ear to help nurses free up their hands when working in dark rooms, reported Asahi Shinbun.

September 1st 2016, sees Stage 3 of the Energy Related Products Regulation 1194/2012 take effect.

Royal Philips announced the appointment of Sophie Bechu as Chief of Operations and Executive Vice President. Sophie Bechu, who joins Philips as of September 1, 2016 from International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), becomes a member of Philips’ Executive Committee and reports directly to Philips CEO Frans van Houten. Sophie Bechu succeeds Pasquale Abruzzese, who left Philips in May of this year for personal reasons.

The widespread replacement of conventional bulbs in street lighting by energy-saving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has considerable influence on bats as urban nocturnal hunters. Opportunistic bats lose hunting opportunities whereas light sensitive species benefit. This was shown in a recent study by Christian Voigt and Daniel Lewanzik from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW).

This week, GE Lighting made an important announcement to its employees regarding its changing market strategy in Asia and Latin America, and the company’s redirecting focus to its more profitable regional markets and products.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced that ANSI Accredited Standards Committee C78 reaffirmed ANSI C78.1431American National Standard for Electric Lamps—Slide Projector Lamps, Condensing, Dichroic, Two-inch (51 mm), Integral Reflector, Rim Reference Tungsten-Halogen Lamps with GY 5.3 Bases. This standard consolidates the lamps commonly used for slide projectors into a single standard. The lamps contained in this standard are not to be considered as interchangeable—they will all fit the common socket used for these lamps. 

Veeco announced that it has received an order to deliver the 25th GENxplor™ R&D Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) System to Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology based in Haifa, Israel. Introduced in August 2013, the GENxplor system is the number one selling R&D MBE system to universities and research institutions.

Huawei and Leedarson signed a strategic cooperation agreement on its largest annual conference in Shanghai expo center. They will work together to create a more market competitive ecosystem based on the principle of “equality and mutual benefit, Win-Win together”.

GE Lighting CEO Bill Lacey announced in an internal memo to employees that it will be withdrawing from Asia and Latin America Markets as of Nov. 30, 2016, reported China Association of Lighting Industry (CALI).

The Chicago-based Energy Resource Center has donated LED bulbs to Colorado Springs in U.S., reported KRDO.com.

Epistar, a leading innovator and manufacturer of LED solid-state lighting technologies, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Adamax Inc.(d/b/a Newhouse Lighting) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on August 30, 2016. The complaint asserts that Newhouse Lighting products and technology infringe six Epistar patents and seeks injunctive relief to halt the further sale of the infringing Newhouse Lighting products.

Technology innovation group and LED manufacturer Lighting Science today announced the appointment of Ute Besenecker as Senior Scientist and Director of their HealthE™ Lighting product line. Besenecker comes to Lighting Science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where she recently earned both a Ph.D. in Architectural Sciences and Master of Science in Lighting. In her new role, Besenecker will assume primary responsibility for managing Lighting Science’s innovative HealthE lighting portfolio, which will include both commercial and industrial applications of the company’s patented Awake & Alert®, GoodNight®and DynaSpectrum™ lighting technologies.

In an environment of intense price wars, nothing can grab LED manufacturers attention more than "price hikes." Chinese LED manufacturers MLS, Kinglight and other manufacturers all raised their product prices in March 2016. Another wave of price hikes occurred in May, when San’an Opto and Taiwanese LED manufacturer Epistar increased prices. Recent market rumors point towards another round of price upticks.

Apple’s rumored switch to Samsung supplied OLED panels could be short-lived, said Innolux CEO.