Hot Picks of the Week March 16-20

Highlights of the week:

• A surprising contender has emerged in the bid for Philips Lumileds and automotive lighting business this week. Chinese startup Lattice Power seems to have submitted a bid price, which the company CEO Min Wang appears to have indirectly admitted. At the moment, the odds seem to be in favor of private equity firms CVC and KKR, who are offering to buy 80% of the lighting component business for $2.7 billion.
• Taiwan’s sapphire makers benefit from Apple Watch launch, and have seen consecutive share growths over the week.
• Samsung announces it will be focused on silicon-based LED chip technology in 2015, and will be integrating several of its production lines for LED manufacturing.
• Everlight and Edison Opto company representatives have all denied market rumors about the two companies merging.
• Chinese LED manufacturers have been fairly concerned about the outcome of Cree’s patent lawsuit against Feit Electric and Unity Opto. A Chinese legal expert has expressed concern that if top LED manufacturers formed patent pools or alliances it could hurt China’s LED industry.
• LEDinside spoke to TCP Lighting CEO Ellis Yan recently to learn more about the company’s market strategy for 2015, and his outlook on the LED industry developments. Please see below for more.

Editor Recommendations

1. [Breaking News] KKR, CVC Close to Sealing Deal for Philips Lumileds
2. Chinese Manufacturer Lattice Power Contends for Philips Lumileds Ownership
3. Lattice Power CEO Denies Acquiring Philips Lumileds
4. Taiwan Sapphire Maker Shares Surge Upon Apple Watch Demands
5. Samsung To Focus on Silicon-based LED Chip Technology in 2015
6. LEDinside Estimates 2015 LED Industrial Lighting Market to Reach US$2.37 B
7. TCP Lighting CEO Optimistic About LED Industry Potential
8. TCP Lighting’s Taiwan Branch to become its New Southeast Asia Headquarters
9. Cree Patent Lawsuit a Rude Awakening for Chinese LED Industry
10. Everlight and Edison Opto Deny Merge Rumor

What’s Trending

• Rethinking Office Lighting to Meet the Needs of an Ageing Workforce
• Study Shows Light Pollution Affects Plant Growth and Food Webs
• Orphe Smart Interactive LED Shoes for Dancers and Artists

Government policies

• Northern UK County Invests US $36M in LED Streetlight Upgrade
• Siemens Beats Philips in Bid for New Hampshire City Streetlight Project

Industry News

1. Epistar Acquires ALLOS’ GaN-on-Si Epiwafer Technology License
2. LED Source Partners Up with Philips and Ketra
3. Soraa Appoints New SVP of Product Development
4. Acuity Brands Partners with Sensity Systems to Deliver Transformational LED Solutions
5. Applied Ventures Broadens Portfolio With RayVio UV LED Investment
6. HC Semitek Estimates Heavy Losses in 1Q15
7. HC Semitek Turns Around Losses in 2014
8. Sharp Rumored to Cut 6,000 Jobs
9. Nitride Solutions Closes $3M in New Funding for AlN Substrates
10. Sengled Partners with Republic Records to Showcase Smart LED Bulb
11. LIFX Smart Bulbs Debuts in China at Microsoft Windows 10 IoT Demo
12. Yankon Group's Independent Director Resigns
13. Another 519 Complaints Filed Against Foshan Lighting
14. Solar-powered LED Luminaires from Philips Can Brighten the Homes of Millions
15. Lunera Lighting Implements Industry Data Warehouse
16. LED Expo Thailand 2015
17. Cree Supplies LED Bulbs for Habitat for Humanity Homes

New Products

1. MaxLite Releases High-Efficacy LED Downlight Retrofits for Commercial and Architectural Applications
2. Dialight Launches New 480 V Passive Power LED Driver
3. Lumibright Expands LED Spotlight Portfolio
4. MaxLite Adds 277-volt Versions to Family of LED PAR Lamps
5. Verbatim Ships LED Edge Lit Flat Panels
6. Sensorex UVT Monitor Ensures Stable and Reliable Water Testing with Crystal IS UVC LEDs
7. Infineon Unveils Portfolio of Energy-Efficient Enhancement Mode and Cascode configuration GaN-on-Silicon Platforms at APEC 2015
8. Integrated Endoscopy Demonstrates LED Patented Arthoscope at AAOS
9. Billion Electric to Showcase at Expo Electronica Russia and Poland Light
10. NXP Launches the World’s First NFC-commissioned Smart Home and Lighting Solution

Interesting Applications

• Party New York Makes Smart LED Vests for Dogs

Lighting Projects

• Spaceship Lands in Nanjing? No it’s Another LED Lit Landmark
• Rijksmuseum Light Art Portrait Exhibition Invites Public to Submit Photos
• Robe Lights up South Africa Metro FM Awards

TILS 2015

1. TILS 2015: Dana Lighting LED Track Lights for Ceiling Applications
2. Well Honor to Showcase LED Product Lineup at TILS 2015
3. TILS 2015: Wan Jiun Technology Launches Explosion-Proof LED Light
4. TILS 2015: PnL Consulting Group’s OLED Product Portfolio
5. TILS 2015: Wedid Water-Powered Flash Lights
6. TILS 2015: Ukin Technology Launches Adjustable Wooden LED Luminaire
7. Uplight Technology Company to Launch LED Tube and Flood Light at TILS 2015
8. UBLeds "Portable Digital LED Display Screen Module" Emerges as Finalist for Innovative Products Award at TILS 2015