In brief: Lumileds, Bookham, MetroPhotonics
Lumileds hooks up with Japanese distributor
San Jose-based LED manufacturer Lumileds has agreed a distribution partnership with Marubeni Corporation of Japan.
Marubeni will market Lumileds InGaN and AlInGaP chips in Japan, targeting automotive, cell phone displays, signs and even pachinko machines.
The company s Japanese sales network will target electronics companies making 5 mm, 4-pin, surface mount and chip-on-board LED packages.
"This is part of a larger strategy to build market share in Japan," said Norihide Yamada, general manager of Lumileds Japan.
The LEDs in question include blue, traffic green, green, red, red-orange and amber colors.
Bookham plans US-only listing
UK-based optoelectronic chip and subsystem manufacturer Bookham Technology is to switch its corporate home from the UK to the US.
It means that the company s common stock would be listed on the Nasdaq market only. Bookham s stock is currently listed on both the Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange.
"The move represents a natural next step in the company s strategy...as a leading supplier of optical components and subsystems," said Bookham s board in a statement.
It is believed by the company that the move will position it closer to the end demand for its products and help it manage its global operations. Bookham said that it would be able to compete on an equal footing with rival suppliers, who are mostly based in the US, for investment and acquisitions.
Bookham will retain its technology base in the UK, it said, and continue to invest in the main UK facilities in Paignton and Caswell.
The company recently announced a set of closures and lay-offs from its UK facilities as part of a cost-cutting strategy (see related story).
MetroPhotonics loses CEO
David Clark, president and CEO of the Canadian InP chip developer MetroPhotonics, has resigned.
Citing personal reasons for the decision, Clark s departure is effective 30 June. Clark had been president and CEO of the Ottawa-based company since April 2002.
Current chief technology officer Adrian O Connell has been appointed acting chief operating officer and president.
MetroPhotonics recently secured CDN$7.7 million ($5.7m) from Technology Partnerships Canada to help develop advanced photonic ICs
In December 2003, the company signed a deal with Mitsubishi Corporation, which now markets MetroPhotonics products in Japan.
