News Article
HB-LED market still going strong
According to a new European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC) report, the HB-LED market made a 7% increase on a year-to-year basis in 2011
The report, which is distributed exclusively to EPIC members, tracks the response of the lighting and display industries in one of the most difficult economic crises in recent years.
The new report "LEDs: The 2011 Market Review," says the market volume for high brightness LEDs (HB-LEDs) reached $12 billion in 2011, a 4.3% growth over 2010. While the demand for LED BLU (back light unit) systems is still growing, the demand for LED chips is falling.
Fewer LEDs are needed to realise a BLU and with the cost per LED also dropping, revenues attributed to LEDs for each display screen are dropping rapidly. The production of BLU based on LEDs should continue to rise through 2014. The demand for LEDs to produce edge-lit BLU has peaked and will settle at about 70% of its maximum value in 2010-2011.
The EPIC Bellwether Index of key companies is an important indicator of the commercial development of solid-state lighting in general. In 2011 the Bellwether companies showed rather different levels of performance.
Revenue performance for the EPIC Bellwether Index companies
Aixtron was challenged by scale-back of MOCVD purchases due to slowing demand in the back lighting market, and the end of purchase subsidies by the Chinese government. Chip manufacturers like Epistar and Cree showed mixed results, while lighting systems companies like Philips and Zumtobel fared very well.
