Agartala, the capital of Tripura State in India, has become the first northeast city in the country to use energy efficient LEDs, according to The Times of India.

Belkin International, a leading Internet of Things (IOT) company, and OSRAM SYLVANIA, a leading global lighting manufacturer, today announced that the two companies have entered into a strategic partnership to collaborate on residential solutions with the OSRAM LIGHTIFY™ smart connected lighting ecosystem and Belkin’s WeMo® home automation ecosystem. 

Batteries Plus, the Wisconsin-based operator and franchisor of Batteries Plus Bulbs stores, announced today that it has acquired privately held LED Hut Ltd., a leading provider of LED lighting products, including bulbs and light fixtures, to customers throughout Europe.

With the IFA coming up in Germany, many LED manufacturers have announced plans of introducing new products at the show. Epistar and FOREPI concluded shareholder meetings successfully, but no details about future business or management deals have surfaced yet. A couple of interesting applications have developed in the LED industry this week, U.S. navy ships are a niche market that holds huge potential for manufacturers that acquire tenders. Intel’s new luxury smart watch MICA will come equipped with sapphire screen, while Japanese researchers are now using LED lighting system to prevent illegal recordings with smart devices. 

The Cross-Strait LED industry cooperation seminar took place at Dayeh University in Changhua County, Taiwan on Sept. 4, 2014. Industry experts and academia from China and Taiwan attended the seminar.

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.

A research team from Ritsumeikan University in Japan has developed a LED lighting system that can prevent unauthorized video recordings via mobile devices in public spaces.

India’s Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has called off a LED streetlight plan approved 19 months ago, according to a report by The Times of India.

EarthTron, an unlimited franchised distributor, announced today their global partnership with Veritas Light. Veritas manufactures intelligent lighting systems which are designed to enable full synchronization and control between the lights and the video systems.

Taiwan’s LED industry godfather Everlight Chairman Robert Yeh upheld a positive outlook on the industry developments, according to an Economic Daily News report.

Chinese sapphire substrate manufacturer Biel Crystal, which has long kept a low profile, recently responded to market rumors about Lens Technology being a major smartphone screen supplier for Apple and Samsung, according to a Shenzhen Commercial report.

Chinese LED manufacturer Changelight announced plans of issuing 6.07 million stocks to raise a total of RMB 800 million (US $130.39 million) financing to expand production of InGaN LED EPI-wafers on Sept. 3, 2014.

The LED industry in Guangdong Province, China showed the most growth out of eight emerging industries in 2013, according to a Securities Times report.

Intel has jumped aboard the wearable device bandwagon with the launch of a luxury jeweled smart bracelet. "My Intelligent Communication Accessory," or known as MICA will be equipped with a curved sapphire glass display, as well as with semi-precious stones, pearls, and even wet snake skin. The company has not released the features or the pricing of the bracelet, but the launch date is expected to take place during the upcoming holiday season in 2014. For further details please see Intel’s press release below:

A research team from Osaka City University in Japan have succeeded in treating skin ulcers caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and LED lights, according to a Nikkei Technology report.

Bitter conflicts between NVC Lighting former CEO Wu Changjiang and current CEO Wang Donglei might have come to an end, but another battle front has begun in the Chinese LED industry, according to a report from Chinese-language Yangcheng Evening News Digital Media.

The importance of easy off-the-shelf availability, proven quality and validated technical ability grows every day for lighting parts like reflectors and lenses, LED drivers and LED coolers.

Imported copies of the Chamaeleon LED light have been removed from the Australian market following a successful prosecution by enLighten Australia, owners of the Chamaeleon LED light's Australian Innovation Patent. 

French lighting designer Henri Burszstyn will be releasing five new luminaire designs at the upcoming Maison & Objet fair in Paris, according to an AFP report.

HC Semitek announced Monday, the company received subsidiary from the Chinese government for its third phase LED EPI-wafer expansion project.

At the end of August 2014  the EU’s the Rapid Alert System for Non-food Dangerous Products (RAPEX) issued warnings for three LED products from China including an LED power supply.

Secretary of the United States Navy, Ray Mabus, was excited to reveal that he is helping the Navy save millions of dollars, more than 150 million dollars to be exact, and is saving 3 percent of fuel costs per year for fleets being converted over to LED lighting by Energy Focus.

Ledon’s limited edition wooden LED bulbs appear as opaque solid wooden globes incapable of emitting any light, which makes the transition into a warm glowing bulb all the more stunning.

Epistar and FOREPI stockholders have approved the proposed merger between the two companies today, according to a report by Cynes.com. FOREPI stocks will be swapped at a rate of 3.448 per Epistar share. 

​The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announces the launch of ASC 137 Lighting Systems Committee. This committee has received approval from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Executive Standards Council as an Accredited Standards Committee (ASC). This approval is the culmination of a multi-month process and will allow the committee to write American National Standards within its scope.

Past Kickstarter ambient lighting projects were mainly focused on bringing colorful LED lights to TVs, and making home entertainment an immersive experience. Recently, a UK team has gotten even more personal by bringing DIY ambient lighting systems to the computer screen.

Valoya announces a 900mm LED tube light to complement its L-series product family for controlled environments. The product range now comprises tubes for 900mm, 1200mm and 1500mm installations with 600mm to follow later this fall.

Cree and Lextar’s investment agreement has caught the industry’s attention this week. Cree will become Lextar’s second largest shareholder after investing US $83 million to acquire 13% stake in the company. The U.S. manufacturer is most likely seeking a long-term economic LED chip supplier to retain a competitive edge in the market, according to LEDinside’s Research Director Roger Chu. 

DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Loan Programs announced a solicitation making up to $4 billion in loan guarantees available for innovative renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the U.S. that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gases. This solicitation represents the next step in DOE's commitment to support the deployment of innovative clean-energy technologies at commercial scale in the U.S.

The commercialization of OLED lighting continues to accelerate, with a growing list of companies announcing their intention to enter the market. Although traditional lighting companies are active, seeking to safeguard their position with regards to OLED lighting, there are many new entrants that want to challenge these incumbents and shift the dynamics of the industry.