Light-emitting diode (LED) manufacturers in Taiwan and mainland China can work together to develop better technologies and create a win-win situation, said representatives from the industry during a cross-strait LED forum held in Taipei on Tuesday, reports The China Post.

Taiwan has formed a complete LED supply chain network, with manufacturers having developed expertise in LED applications in notebook PC and LCD TV back-light panels, said Huang Chung-chiu, Taiwan’s deputy minister of economic affairs.

"Taiwan has the expertise, scale and human resources. China can learn much from Taiwan," said Feng Jichun, an official of China's Ministry of Science and Technology. "Both sides of the strait can complement each other."

At the forum, Feng mentioned five areas in which Taiwan and mainland China can work together.

First, both sides can work together on investment; second, Taiwan and China can form an industry alliance to conduct joint research and development; third, Taiwan and China should work out a common patenting standard, and fourth, both sides should form a standardization mechanism; fifth, Taiwan and China should develop a common certification and testing platform, he said.

Wu Ling, secretary general of the China Solid State Lighting Alliance, said Both sides should work together on R&D, investment, capital expansion, international markets enlargement, and the formation of international brands.

Last year, Taiwan's LED industry posted an overall production value of NT$46 billion, the second largest in the world. Lighting applications accounted for over NT$10 billion. And LED back-lighting applications saw production value grow 109 percent from 2007.

There are currently around 3,000 LED companies in mainland China, most of them mid- and downstream manufacturers and upstream manufacturers totalling only 25. The total production of the industry reached RMB70 billion in 2008.