RUSNANO, ONEXIM and the Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant (UOMP) establish the joint company to manufacture the new generation lighting products which based on the gallium nitride（GaN）semiconductor chips. The successful establishment of a new enterprise will allow to return one of the most promising projects developed by the Russian scientists back to Russia.

PhotonStar LED Ltd. and the University of Cambridge have won funding from the government’s Technology Strategy Board. Together they will undertake a collaborative programme of work entitled LED Lighting for the 21st Century (LL21C).

General Electric has decided to end all plans for revitalizing their century-old incandescent bulbs. Instead, it plans to focus on LEDs and OLEDs.

For the environmentally conscious holiday reveler, LED Christmas lights can offer the best of both worlds. That use less energy, but last longer than regular electric bulbs, and while they may cost more, it doesn't take more than a few years to regain that cost in lower electricity use and less replacement of bulbs. Decorations indistinguishable from regular light bulbs with a distinctively "green" feeling.

The researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new, economical method for measuring the optical properties of high power LEDs to allow LED lighting manufacturers to obtain accurate, reproducible, and comparable measurements of LED brightness and color. By mounting the LED on a temperature controlled heat sink, the researchers can test the LEDs at their normal operating temperature at high speed.

During the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, when the new 2010 Ford Mustang cruised onto the stage, everything that lit it up, inside and out, was due to OSRAM products. America's pony car includes innovative lighting from front to back including the unique sequential rear turn signal powered by OSRAM JOULE(TM) standardized automotive LED system.

Recently, Kim Lighting, a leading manufacturer of outdoor architectural lighting, announced its Round Wall Forms(R) Series now includes new super bright white LED technology. Kim Lighting's line of Round Wall Forms Luminaires are designed to complement the Site Lightforms(R) Low Level Luminaires used in pedestrian areas, with rugged construction and shapes that complement a wide variety of architectural styles. Key features of the LED Round Wall Forms Series include:

It’s reported that Sharp Corporation and Nichia Corporation have entered into a patent cross-licensing agreement covering LEDs and laser diodes to respond to market demand for LED lighting products and Blu-ray Disc recorders.

It’s reported that the event - solid-state lighting symposium, organized by DTE Energy, which is held on Nov. 17 at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, featured exhibitors and speakers from Michigan LED manufacturers that have completed LED street lighting projects like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, Lansing, and Battle Creek.

It’s reported that the Belleville Downtown Development Authority (DDA)  is planning to install LED streetlights in the next few years to make the lights in the city's downtown shine brighter, longer and cheaper.

Recently, Pegasus Associates Lighting introduced four new LED fixtures to its expanding LED light fixtures. The new LED products include three LED recessed mini swivel lights and an award-winning LED 4-inch recessed downlight.

Taiwan LED maker Epistar is reportedly that it has increased its high power blue LED efficacy to 100lm/W. The company expects to begin mass production of the blue LEDs in the first half of 2009. It’s disclosed that its small blue LEDs should reach 150 lm/W in 2009, and its high-power blue LEDs should increase in efficiency to 120 lm/W.

Last Saturday, 4.5 million LEDs lit up the Nabana no Sato theme park of Kuwana, Japan, kicking off their annual Winter Light Show that runs until March 8th. The theme of this year is one of flowers, illuminated in 64 billion colors that actually resemble a river more than a field of blooming plants.                

It’s reported that this year’s annual ZooLights display will use more LEDs to save energy. About half of the display’s 1 million lights will be LEDs. The LEDs use only a fraction of the energy of conventional light bulbs.

Recently, Tegal Corporation, a leading designer and manufacturer of plasma etch and deposition systems used in the production of LEDs, MEMS, integrated circuits, and nanotechnology devices, announced that it received another follow-on order for an additional Tegal 901ACS unit from a leading opto-semiconductor / LED manufacturer.

The new Ostar Headlamp LED from Osram Opto Semiconductors has a number of features that improve the accuracy of the light pattern. They emit clearly defined light with high efficiency without the need for further external shutters. The LED can be equipped with between one and five chips. Instead of the usual silicone encapsulation, a glass cover bonded to the frame protects the chips, and also prevents scatter losses.

A more efficient, safer and longer-lasting light bulb technology is emerging and starting to appear on store shelves, it is called LED.

It’s reported that the global LED output is expected to grow by only 5 percent next year, given the impact of the global economic downturn. While Taiwan, which accounts for 20 percent of the world’s LED output, is projected to fare slightly better with a 7 percent increase, according to an analyst with the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK) under the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Recently, Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSG), announced that it has designed, developed and produced an integrated lighting system for the 2009 Time Square New Year's Eve Ball. The Ball, which boasts a system comprised of 672 LED modules, will be installed on November 26 in Times Square, New York, where it will continue to remain year round.

According to an industry executive at the Electronica 2008 exhibition, the integration of intelligence with LED technology will lead to a greater significant energy savings for many lighting applications.

It’s reported that Taiwan’s DRAM chipmakers and backlight-module makers had announced aggressive investments in LED epitaxy-wafer production last year in anticipation of bright market future, touting to add a total of 100 metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) machines to the Taiwan industry. However, their optimism has been dampened by the global economic crisis, which has hamstrung consumer spending of various sectors including high-tech products like LED, DRAM and LCD TVs.

Recently, the electric utility completed replacing the sign's old neon illumination with LED lights that consume nearly 90 percent less energy, last longer, and require less maintenance. Visible to drivers along Interstate 88, the old signage previously used 2,618-watt neon lights, but now generate the same brightness using 323-watt LEDs. Because LEDs also last longer than neon lights and need to be replaced less frequently, ComEd expects to save another 20 percent in annual maintenance costs.

Recently, Leica has released a new inverted routine microscope that features LED illumination of the target. Brilliant optics and optimum illumination are the key to achieving the best possible results in microscopy.

It’s reported that Lime Energy and Harrah's Rincon Resort and Casino, Valley Center, CA, have completed an energy efficiency retrofit project that produces significant benefits for the resort and the environment. The project includes new LED technology in elevators, recessed downlights and outdoor signage.

Now, LEDs, illuminate the traffic lights and cell-phone buttons, are finding their way into the home. Their residential uses are limited as yet, but look for big advances in the next few years, those in the industry say. Terry McGowan, a Cleveland Heights, Ohio, lighting consultant and director of engineering for the American Lighting Association, said lighting is undergoing a revolution, much like what happened to electronics when tubes gave way to solid-state components. We're right on the edge of seeing LEDs show up in the living room.

It’s reported that the use of LED backlights in LCD TVs will start to grow rapidly from 2009 as TV makers introduce slimmer models.

It’s reported that there is an article “2008 Tour of Homes” demonstration of LED residential downlights and undercabinet lights, shows an overview of project results including significant energy savings, improved illuminance uniformity and positive user feedback.

Recently, ilumisys, Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that LED Lighting Inc. is becoming a reseller of ilumisys lighting.  

It’s reported that Intematix Corp.has added an amber-color LED family to its growing line of packaged device solutions. Its new amber-color product line leverages Intematix' patented phosphor technologies in combination with InGaN blue LED chips to create the breakthrough product family. Blue-excited amber LEDs offer substantial increases in efficiency and temperature stability compared to traditional AlInGaP-based amber LED technologies. Follow-on blue-excited color LED families are also under development.  

Some consumers are starting to switch their regular household halogen or incandescent light bulbs to LED technology. Up until now, LEDs have typically been used more in professional applications, but they are beginning to increase in popularity as a household lighting solution.