It’s reported that Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp Corp announced it aims to generate sales of $1.8 billion from LED market by the business year to March 2013. Moreover, Sharp would enter the lighting gear market with energy-saving LED technology to establish a new earnings pillar in addition to its flat panel and solar cell businesses this month.

It’s reported that LG Display, the world's No. 2 supplier of LCD panels, will build a joint venture with Nasdaq-listed Cree in LED packaging in Nanjing, China. LG Display is able to cut costs in LED lighting business amid growing demand for the component in notebooks and television sets, adding the company could avoid possible patent infringement troubles if the plan is realized. It's a win-win strategy.

It’s reported that the market for high-brightness light-emitting diodes (HB-LEDs) in lighting applications grew 64% in 2007 to $337m, up from $205m in 2006. According to related analysis and forecast, the HB-LED lighting market should reach $1.65bn in 2012. In recent years, HB-LEDs have demonstrated dramatic improvements in performance, as well as significant cost reduction, such that they are undergoing a period of rapid market growth in a variety of niche and general lighting applications.

LEDinside recently conducted an in-depth interview with Liquidleds Lighting Corp (Liquidleds) CEO, Mr. Kun-Yuan Chiang (Chiang), in relation to the industry of LED.

According to High Power executive, Charles Wei, president of Taiwan-based High Power Lighting, LED lighting will see explosive growth in 2010 when production costs are expected to halve compared to present levels, which focuses on high power LED design, packaging and module manufacturing.

In many of Africa's towns and villages, smoky kerosene lamps are all that keeps the darkness at bay after sunset. However, kerosene is a dangerous and increasingly expensive source of light for Africans who do not have access to electricity -- about three-quarters of those living on the continent, according to the World Bank. Lighting industry entrepreneurs are hoping alternative devices such as solar-powered LED lights will replace the kerosene lamps.