Amsterdam, The Netherlands — Royal Philips Electronics announced investment plans for a high power light emitting diode (LED) production facility in Singapore to produce LEDs for a wide range of applications including LCD backlighting.
Initial production is expected to start in the first quarter of 2007, ramping up to double Philips’ total power LED production capacity by the end of 2007, the company said.
This investment is part of Philips Lighting’s strategy to strengthen its leadership position in the fast growing and rapidly emerging power LED market. The plant will be a high-volume production facility for the LUXEON range of LEDs, employing about 900 people at full capacity, according to a statement announcing the plan.
The LEDs are used in city beautification lighting, LCD displays, camera flash for mobile phones, automotive applications and other applications.
“This investment will not only double the production capacity of our power LEDs in the next year and strengthen our number one position in this field, it will also significantly increase efficiency, supporting our aim for profitable growth,” stated Theo van Deursen, Philips Lighting CEO and member of Philips’ Board of Management.
Philips said the power LED market has an expected annual growth of 25 percent over the coming years. The long-lasting LUXEON range of power LEDs matches the brightness of conventional light sources and for the first time, makes it possible to replace incandescent, halogen and fluorescent bulbs in many products with smaller, longer-lasting and more energy efficient LEDs.
The creation of white-light LEDs a few years ago has transformed the market potential for LED technology. Over time, solid-state lighting is expected to revolutionize lighting in homes, cars, shops and cities.
