Recently in Strategies in Light Japan 2008 Category

By Eve Gaut and Jodie Batchelor, Aston Science Park

Eve (left) and Jodie at a Japanese tea ceremony

After an enjoyable evening out exploring the real Tokyo and a good night's sleep, it was time to hit the second and final day of LED Japan. Day 2 turned out to be as promising as expected with plenty of visitors keen to hear about the new and emerging technologies taking place within the industry.

We kicked off the day by walking the exhibition floor, speaking to every exhibitor about what their company has in store for the forthcoming year including any exciting product developments or product launches.

After walking the floor, we then proceeded to have one-to-one meetings over a cup of Japanese tea. Meetings were held with existing and potential euroLED 2009 exhibitors as well with delegates myself and my colleague Matthew had met earlier in the month at LEDs 2008, which took place in San Diego.

Visiting the show offered us excellent networking opportunities as well as the chance to get to grips with the latest LED news, addressing the reoccurring hot topic of LEDs emerging into the general lighting market.

A reoccurring hot topic was how and when LEDs will enter the general lighting market.

Robert Steele of Strategies Unlimited was very optimistic saying that these are exciting times for the high-brightness LED industry. "The past two years have seen breathtaking improvements in the performance of high-brightness LEDs," he said. "The industry is on the verge of having 100 lumen-per-watt commercial white LEDs, and laboratory results indicate that even higher performance devices are just over the horizon. These developments are helping to accelerate the adoption of LEDs in a variety of lighting applications and are paving the way for the ultimate adoption of LEDs in general illumination."

After speaking with many of the delegates, exhibitors and speakers at the show, it seems apparent that everyone has thoroughly enjoyed themselves, finding the first in the annual LED Japan show to be a huge success. Exhibitors were particularly pleased with the footfall at the exhibition, which was certainly impressive - probably helped by the fact that entrance to the exhibition was completely free of charge. Delegates seemed happy with the conference and also the representation of Asian companies throughout the exhibition hall, offering a different dimension to the show and an exciting market to explore further over the two days.

So after another tiring yet stimulating day at the show it was time to head for Narita Airport to make our way back to Photonics Cluster UK based at Aston Science Park. This involved a nightmare journey back via Paris, allowing us to really reflect on our experience. However it was certainly worth the time, effort and hectic schedule in Tokyo to ensure we were a part of the action at the first ever, LED Japan/Strategies in Light show, which in our opinion, was an incredible success!

By Eve Gaut and Jodie Batchelor, Aston Science Park

Eve (left) and Jodie on day 1 of LED Japan/Strategies in Light

We were awake early this morning, ready for the first day of this brand new annual conference and exhibition from Pennwell: LED Japan. On arrival at the TEPIA Exhibition Hall we were pleased to see the exhibition area was already buzzing with plenty of visitors clearly excited about the two day event ahead, and who can blame them?

With 54 exhibitors throughout the spacious exhibition area, an estimated 2000 visitors due to attend the show as well as a sell-out conference, it is clear that LED Japan is meeting the demands of the LED community within the Asian region.

Busy booths at LED Japan

Having walked the floor several times taking in the exhibition area fully and the immense amount of products on offer we bumped into Tim Carli, one of the main organisers of the show, who expressed his delight at how well everything was going. It was clear just looking around that there was a lot of intense discussion and stimulating conversations taking place.

Robert Steele, Conference Chair and Director of Optoelectronics Programs at Strategies Unlimited commented: "One of the more exciting developments in the past year was the adoption of LED headlamps in a Japanese, a European and an American automobile. Although the use of HB LEDs as backlights for LCD TVs and monitors is still in its early stages, the potential market is enormous." It seems that this is an area within the LED industry that we may be hearing more about in the near future.

There is also a conference running alongside the LED Japan exhibition. Delegates that we spoke to were impressed by the range of speakers from every level of the LED supply chain and pleased that the latest developments in HB LED technology, manufacturing and applications were all being addressed.

So after an exciting day at the show and very tired feet, we decided to head to the trendy Bar 28, which offers 'Lost in Translation' views over Tokyo Bay whilst sipping a cocktail or two.

Roll on Day 2 of LED Japan. We are thoroughly looking forward to exploring and networking further!

By Eve Gaut and Jodie Batchelor, Aston Science Park

The bright lights of Ginza, Tokyo

After a long flight over to Japan via Amsterdam we have finally arrived in Tokyo and what an amazing city it is. We were welcomed by masses of bright lights and plenty of smiling faces, exactly what we expected from Tokyo and we are certainly not disappointed. With a huge LED lighting sign for LG Electronics shining through our hotel room window, there is no forgetting what we are here for - to visit LED Japan 2008/Strategies in Light.

After touching base at the hotel, it was then time to explore Tokyo where the lighting is said to be on a par with New York City. We explored Ginza, which is where we are staying, as well as Roppongi, Akasaka, Harajuku and Ueno, all which were great to see. After seeing more than enough of the subway, we decided to end the evening in true Japanese style with a visit to the local noodle bar.

Having also learnt the essential phrases from the locals including Moshi-Moshi (Hello), Arigato (Thank You) and Sayo-nara (Goodbye), we now feel ready and prepared for LED Japan 2008.

With the conference all sold out we will be walking the floor and speaking with exhibitors telling them more about Europe's leading show in solid-state lighting: euroLED organised by Aston Science Park.

We are keen to maintain and create working relationships with companies in Asia as the LED market over here is thriving and crucial to the development of the industry. Visiting the exhibition will also us to find out more about the industry, what people are really thinking and what the future holds. More on this in tomorrow's blog.

Until then, Sayo-nara!

Jodie Batchelor (left) and Eve Gaut will be blogging from Strategies in Light Japan

Hot on the heels of her trip to LEDs 2008 in San Diego last month, Eve Gaut of Aston Science Park is back blogging for optics.org. This week, Eve and her colleague Jodie Batchelor are attending Strategies in Light 2008, which is being held in Tokyo, Japan, on 16 and 17 October at the Tepia Exhibition Hall.

This is the first time that the organisers of Strategies in Light have tried to replicate the success of their popular US event in Asia. And it looks like the event is off to a great start as the conference is already sold out.

This is hardly surprising when you consider that Japan is such a large market for high-brightness LEDs (HB LEDs). In 2007, Japan accounted for 45% of the worldwide HB LED supply. The country is also home to the world's largest HB LED manufacturer, Nichia Corporation, as well as five of the world's top ten HB LED suppliers. According to the event website, Strategies in Light Japan will now be held annually in addition to the original US event.

So, what's in store for visitors to this two day conference and exhibition? A quick look at the conference programme shows a comprehensive line-up of industry leaders covering issues ranging from markets and applications through to technology and materials. There is also an exhibition running from 10 am through to 6 pm on both days, with around 60 exhibitors present.

Strategies in Light was held in Santa Clara, US, in February and having attended that event and more recently LEDs 2008, Eve is in a great position to compare both the events and the US and Asian markets.