Samsung abandoned an OLED fab expansion project because of yield rate issues and intense market competition, according to a Nikkei Asian Review report.

On May 6, a group of 30 lighting and healthcare industry professionals will travel to the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. to attend the launch of the first “flagship” Light and Health Institute a two-day, hands-on seminar to teach the many ways in which light affects, and can be used to improve, health and wellbeing. The seminar is taught by Dr. Mariana Figueiro, LRC Light and Health Program director and professor at Rensselaer; Dr. Bernard Possidente, professor of biology at Skidmore College; Dr. Mark Rea, LRC director and professor at Rensselaer; and Andrew Bierman, LRC research scientist.

LED industry demand is booming, causing downstream epitaxial manufacturers to upstream package manufacturers to face the possibility of an undersupply situation. LED demands started strengthening from 4Q13 to 2Q14, said Zhang Shixian, Deputy General Manager of Epistar. Zhang estimates that demands will continue increasing in 3Q14. Epistar’s production capacity has already reached 90 percent. The company is now concerned that supply will not meet demand after 3Q14. 

The influx of affordable, but good quality LED bulbs from Chinese manufacturers into the Korean market is causing concern among small and medium size companies (SMEs), according to a recent report by Korean media. 

Veeco Instruments Inc. announced its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2014. Veeco reports its results on a U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) basis, and also provides results excluding certain items. 

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is preparing to sign a nine year contract with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd. (EESL) after the conclusion of the general elections currently ongoing in India. The contract will be for a joint-venture to replace a total of 300,000 street lamps with LEDs, according to The Economic Times. 

GT Advanced Technologies (GT) announced that it will be making its next generation ASF165 sapphire growth furnace, for the production of high volume and high quality sapphire material, commercially available in 3Q14.

Cree introduced a series of LED T8 replacement tubes yesterday in their bid push the lighting market towards 100 percent adoption of LEDs. The LED T8 series is designed to replace linear fluorescent tubes. 

MaxLite®, a global manufacturing of energy-efficient lamps and lighting fixtures, has announced the appointment of Donille Perrone to Director of Marketing. Perrone reports directly to Thomas Rhee, Executive Vice President of MaxLite. Perrone brings over 15 years of marketing experience with a strong lighting background.

Conceptor, a product design team based in Kiev, Ukraine has come up with Lunecase, an elegant and smart LED iPhone case that is super energy efficient.

Apple’s recent interest in sapphire substrate has got the industry talking as to what future Apple product will use the material. Long since used in LED lighting applications and handheld devices, sapphire substrate will soon be the spotlight in the industry once Apple’s Arizona factory is up and running. 

GT Advanced Technologies’ (GT) Arizona sapphire substrate facility reportedly began small scale sapphire production last month. Stephen Chin, analyst of UBS, revealed that the facility has also already begun shipping material to a Chinese supplier. 

Taiwan citizens could soon see a jump in electricity costs as the country faces energy shortages. Anti-nuclear sentiment is gaining momentum in the country as construction for Taiwan’s controversial fourth nuclear power plants nears completion. 

Philips Canlyte announced it will close its doors after 27 years, leaving around 190 workers without jobs. 

Apple has acquired LuxVue Technology, a startup company that focuses on making low power micro-LED based displays in the consumer market, according to a TechCrunch report.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the 2014 edition of the Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). This year's edition provides a description of the activities DOE plans to undertake over the next several years to implement its SSL mission, and informs the development of annual SSL R&D funding opportunities.

The National Lighting Bureau’s has announced its 35th annual High-Benefit Lighting Awards Program. The unique program is open to owners, architects, engineers, interior designers, facility and property managers, contractors, manufacturer’s representatives, utility employees, users, and virtually anyone else associated with a new or upgraded illumination system that provides at least some of the many benefits of what the Bureau calls High-Benefit Lighting(r).

Rubicon Technology, Inc., a provider of sapphire substrates and products to the LED, semiconductor, and optical industries, today reported financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2014.

Since being first introduced in the 1950’s, hula hoops have remained popular among both children and adults. Berlin even has a festival dedicated to the hula hoop. Started in 2005, this June will mark Hoopla! Berlin’s third annual festival.

Nuclear energy has been a hot topic in Taiwan this week, as construction plans to the country’s fourth nuclear power plant have come to a temporary halt. LED industry heavy weights including Epistar and Delta Electronics have been weighing in, urging the government that LEDs are a better alternative energy solution. 

The Korean won is anticipated to rise against the U.S. dollar in the coming months, the strongest in six years. The Taiwan new dollar, on the other hand, is expected to depreciate against the Korean currency. 

AIXTRON SE announced revenues of EUR 43.9m for the first quarter of 2014, representing a year-on-year improvement of 9%. Capacity utilization rates at leading LED manufacturers remain at relatively high levels and demand for LEDs continues to be on the rise. Despite this, there was still no noticeable increase in investments in LED manufacturing capacity expansions in Q1/2014. 

Artificial lighting is threatening the sea turtle population. After emerging from their shells in the wee hours of the morning, sea turtle hatchlings instinctively find their way to the sea by the light reflected on the ocean. Modern society is now posing a threat to their survival as the brightest light is no longer coming from the ocean, but from hotels and shops along the ocean front.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Municipal Solid-State Street Lighting Consortium (MSSLC) has released an update to its Model Specification for Adaptive Control and Remote Monitoring of LED Roadway Luminaires, V1.0. The new resource has been renamed to better reflect its evolving scope. 

Philips Lighting’s latest market data shows uptake of LED lighting continues to increase as more New Zealanders make the switch for better energy efficiency. That growth is expected to continue as the price point for this next generation lighting option continues to reduce.

Osram recorded a significant year-on-year earnings increase in the second quarter of its fiscal year 2014. The business with LED-based products (Solid State Lighting, or SSL) continued to rise strongly in the second quarter and achieved a revenue share of 34 percent.

Panasonic released their fiscal 2013 financial report on April 28, 2014, which recorded the company’s financial performance up to March 31, 2014. The company had a turn around after three consecutive years of losses. Net profit reached JPY 120.4 billion (US $1.18 billion). 

The debate over the construction of Taiwan’s fourth nuclear power plant has been heating up. Alternative energy manufacturers have been eager to voice their opinions, urging the government to reconsider nuclear power as an energy source for the country. 

The LED lighting industry is transforming. As LED lighting develops, new technology, applications, and models will drive a revolution in the production process of the industry. Industry insiders have weighed in on the future of the industry at the New LED Technology Conference held by the Shenzhen Light Emitting Diode Industry Association. With more new chip scale packaging (CSP) technology springing up, industry insiders believe that the industry chain consolidation process will accelerate. 

Cheil Industries has become the first Korean manufacturer to develop and produce OLED material. The Samsung affiliate announced on April 28 2014 that it will begin mass producing raw material for green phosphorescent OLED.