Top LED manufacturers including Philips, Osram Opto, Monocrystal, Cree and GT Advanced Technologies, shared insights of strategies and new technologies companies have developed to cope with costs and pricing competitions at LEDforum Taipei 2013 in Taiwan this week.Rivals Samsung and LG continue their race in OLED smartphones this week, while Genesis slips into Japan’s mobile phone supply chain. In addition, Cree has signed a remote phosphor patent agreement with Chinese LED manufacturer NNCrystal. Furthermore, rumors of U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is rumored to inject US$ 15.50 million into semiconductor and chip R&D might bring back a gleam of hope to the LED industry. Other hot news this week as following:

China based LED package company MLS Lighting 2013 performance for packaging components and lighting products was good. The company expects to reach the target of RMB 3 billion (US$ 492 million) for 2013. MLS is actively pursuing discussions for cooperation between U.S. market dealers and channels.

Ledionopto Lighting is proud to announce that the 17W AR111 Module and Lighting Series has won the Good Design 2013 , as well as it had got Golden Pin Award in this September.

The 3Q performance for the new Harvetek Hsinchu factory profits were driven up due to rising utilization rates, said the company Chairman Billy Wang. The company expects 3Q results to make a turn for the better and ultimately affect 2013 annual performance. Taiwan LED packaging manufacturer Harvatek chairman Billy Wang attended LEDforum Taipei 2013 conference held by global market intelligence provider Trendforce Corporation.

Philips’ LED-based lighting will enable electricity savings of over 50% for the city. The replacement process has already started: new LED lighting from Philips will enable a safer, more sustainable and energy-efficient city.

A U.S. university has found an innovative way of using LED lights. With the flick of a light switch, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies can change the shape of a protein in the brain of a mouse, turning on the protein at the precise moment they want. This allows the scientists to observe the exact effect of the protein's activation. The new method, described in the Oct. 16, 2013, issue of the journal Neuron, relies on specially engineered amino acids—the molecules that make up proteins—and light from an LED.

Dialog Semiconductor plc, a provider of highly integrated power management, audio, AC/DC and short-range wireless technologies, today debuted the iW7025, a 16-channel LED backlight driver that delivers enhanced picture quality, robust, patented short protection and lower cost for next-generation 2D and 3D LCD TVs.

Hubbell Lighting announced today that 10 of its products have been recognized by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Progress Committee as providing important advancements in the science of light. The accepted products are part of the IES Progress Report 2013, which presents significant developments and improvements in the lighting industry over the past year.  The company has received an outstanding 30 IES Progress report selections over the past two years.

Ringdale, Inc. announces that ActiveLED fixtures have shattered LED lighting stereotypes experienced in the auto dealership market with durable, high-output fixtures delivering over 100 lumens-per-watt. Ringdale's patented lumen delivery method helps dealerships by enhancing illumination and replacing 1000-watt High-Intensity Discharge (HID) fixtures with 102-watt fixtures for a 90 percent energy savings.

Have you ever observed the light environment and thought if it’s good? C C Hwang, the Art Director of BeLight.com, did, and this experience may be one of the reasons why she decided to dedicate into lighting design. In LEDforum 2013 Taipei, Hwang shared her professional opinions on good lighting. Come with us and see the key idea!

Using LED light sources as a medium for light therapy devices can stimulate the human body’s metabolism rate and greatly reduce medical risks associated to conventional light therapy, such as laser and intense pulse light, said Simon Gau, President of Liverage Biomedical during LEDforum Taipei 2013. Gau was a guest speaker at the forum organized by LEDinside, which runs from Oct. 16-17 at Evergreen International Convention Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

Pricing trends have improved in the Chinese LED industry, compared to the same period last year, said San’an Optoelectronics Fujian Province Vice President Simon Lin at LEDforum Taipei 2013. San’an Opto electronics 4Q13 revenue performance is kept at a growth rate of five to eight percent. With most equipment reaching full production capacity, the company is planning to add 100 MOCVD equipment in 2014.

The LED chip industry is expected to undergo restructuring within the next two years which will lead to an expected net profit return of 30-35 percent for the industry, forecasted San’an Optoelectronics Fujian Province Vice President Simon Lin at LEDforum Taipei 2013 on Oct. 16.

Epistar Chairman Dr. B.J. Lee remained conservative about LED industry’s 4Q13 performance prospects, during an interview at LEDforum Taipei 2013. Lee was the second opening remarks speaker at the two day event in Evergreen International Convention Center organized by LEDinside, a LED research subsidiary of Trendforce.

U.S. LED manufacturer Cree has signed a non-exclusive worldwide license agreement with China’s Hangzhou Naijing Technologies Ltd (NNCrystal US Corp.), according to reports by Semiconductor Today and Compound Semiconductor.

Texas Instruments (TI) announced the availability of a ZigBee Light Link™ development kit that simplifies the development and control of wirelessly connected LED lighting products. The new kit includes a remote control and supports smartphone and tablet connectivity through gateways including Ninja Blocks, cloud-enabled computers based on the BeagleBone open-source computer platform powered by TI's Sitara™ AM335x ARM® processors. Through simplified control, users are able to dynamically configure colors, groups and scenes. With a simple connection to a cloud gateway, the new kit makes it easier to connect LED bulbs and other lighting products to the Internet of Things (IoT) using ZigBee networking. For more information, visit: www.ti.com/lprf-zllkit-pr.

Lextar Electronics Corp. launches a new omni-directional LED light tube featuring ultra high efficiency of 200 lumens per watt, distributing 360 degree of lighting area. This ultra efficient light tube, incorporating in-house flip chip, Chip Scale Package (CSP), and Chip On Glass (COG) technologies, showcases Lextar's vertically integrated LED technologies. Lextar will debut this new LED tube prototype at Hong Kong International Lighting Fair (Autumn Edition) starting from October 27th, 2013.

Nokero International announced the release of one of the most technologically advanced solar light, phone charger combinations on the market. The company also unveiled a new affordable solar light N180 priced at US$ 6.00 that aims to replace kerosene lamps that millions of impoverished people in Asia and Africa depend on.

Lighting Science launched Definity Digital™, the world’s first line of biologically-corrected lighting with products specifically designed to improve sleep, support natural melatonin production, boost alertness, accelerate plant growth, and protect wildlife. Based on patented LED digital technology developed by Lighting Science for the International Space Station and the U.S. South Pole Station, the revolutionary line of bulbs is both a scientific and technological breakthrough. The light bulbs fit into conventional sockets and provide the same bright white light that consumers expect, but with added health benefits.

Burlington Arcade, situated between Bond Street and Piccadilly, is one of the oldest and most famous shopping mall in the world as well as a Grade two listed one dating back to 1819. It has been lasting for around 200 years; however, in the 20th Century, the northern end was completely destroyed during the Blitz, leading to a restoration both of building and reputation. Speirs + Majors took a great part in the reconstructing array and lighted the Arcade up aiming to bring its old and classic beauty back.

With LED prices continuing to drop and supply chains actively lowering costs, Taiwanese LED epitaxial wafer and chip manufacturer Formosa Epitaxy (Forepi) chairman Frank Chien points out that changes in product design and manufacturing process in areas such as package free chips, HV LED chips, and types of filament (tungsten) designs, will lower costs further. Through these lowered production costs, the company will retain market competitiveness

Everybody loves gold. It is traditionally believed to have the powers of healing, protection, wisdom, money, and success. In some cultures gold is linked to the powers of the Sun, and in others it is associated with demi-Gods and monarchs. Whatever gold represents, it is the most cherished and one of the most valuable metals in the world. Now, Aeon Lighting Technology (ALT) has come out with a special edition – the MR16 – coated in gold.

GlacialTech, a Taiwanese technology manufacturer, extends an invitation to all business and media partners around the world to attend its display of LED lights and drivers of the company's subdivisions, GlacialLight and GlacialPower, at Hong Kong International Lighting Fair – Autumn Edition.

LDS has proposed that Congress consider using an LED countdown clock to display the time remaining until Debt Ceiling Deadline of October 17, 2013.

A member of Elec-Tech’s security department revealed that fundamental research for 1.0mm display panel has been successful, according to the Chinese media.

Honglitronics released their report for the first three quarters 2013, stating that gross profit margin for affiliated listed company shareholders for Jan.- Sept. 2013 was RMB27.1412 million - RMB36.1882 million, a drop of 20-40 percent since last year.

Cree, Inc.  introduces the LMH2 LED Module with sunset dimming – Cree’s game-changing dimming technology that provides a dimming experience similar to incandescent lighting. The new module enables a natural dimming profile that was previously unachievable with any other energy-saving technology. Cree’s sunset dimming technology dims smoothly from 2700 K to 1800 K, delivering rich, warm light for applications requiring a traditional style of dimming, such as hospitality and residential settings, while still achieving over 80-percent energy reduction compared to energy-inefficient incandescents.

The Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA), a wholesale power supplier, was awarded a recent U.S. Department of Energy grant to fund the retrofitting of outdoor street lights in member communities with light emitting plasma and LED street lighting fixtures. Through a competitive process, the communities collectively selected the GE’s energy-efficient Evolve™ LED Roadway Cobrahead fixtures to replace mercury vapor, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps, some of which had been in use for more than half a century.

LEDtronics®, Inc., announced that their “Pehli Kiran” initiative provided LED solar lanterns to top students from impoverished villages in Pakistan. Top students received a solar lantern or a solar cell phone charger to help them continue their studies and encourage them to stay in school.

As the industry enters LED lighting era, Taiwan needs to speed up its smart driver IC network (power control and ballast), which has interchangeable spec and electrical interface, said FOREPI Chairman Chien Fen-Ren at the 2013 Renewable Energy Summit. In the short term, the LED industry needs to prioritize solving electrical specification protocol and integration for drivers and luminary modules to resolve bottleneck situation.