February 27, 2008, Santa Clara, CA--The global market for high-brightness light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has apparently recovered from its "slow growth" phase of 2004 to 2006, according to analyst Bob Steele of Strategies Unlimited (Mountain View, CA). Speaking at the 2008 Strategies in Light conference earlier this month, Steele presented a review and forecast of the global LED market. He noted that demand for LEDs is currently healthy across all applications with global revenues gaining 9.5% in 2007 to reach $4.6 billion. Price erosion is significant, he said, so units actually grew 26% to reach 39 billion.
Now in its ninth year, Strategies in Light, the theme of which was "Emerging Applications Driving the LED Market Forward," provided some useful insights into the rapidly developing trends in applications, markets, products, and technologies that will affect the industry's future. It is the leading event in the world of LEDs and this year attracted more than 1500 people from 28 countries to an exhibition and conference at the Santa Clara convention center.
Steele said that the mobile appliances segment, which includes mobile phones, accounted for 39% of high-brightness LED sales in 2007, a share that's buoyed by LED sales for phone-camera flash and other mobile devices, despite the maturing phone market. Other applications segments include illumination (37%), signs and displays (8%), signals (6%), and automotive (4%). Highest growth segments in 2007 were signs and displays, illumination, and automotive (see video).
More information about the conference can be found at www.strategiesinlight.com.
--V.C.
