TLFEA to Build Synergy Among Traditional and Tech Lighting Makers

Taiwanese makers have enough clou

The Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association (TLFEA) held its annual members' meeting for this year on March 26, during which David Chang, general manager of David Technology Inc., was elected as new chairman. Before assuming the chairmanship, Chang had worked with the association as supervisor, chief supervisor, standing board member, and vice chairman. His company, David Technology, is an international product safety certificate application, consulting, and testing institution, focusing on serving lighting companies. Such background places Chang ideally as the new chairman to improve the TLFEA and Taiwan's lighting industry.

Keeping Status Quo

“The 21-year-old TLFEA just celebrated its 20th anniversary last year and has a well-developed system, and I will continue to follow the association's existing policies and system,” said Chang.

However, Chang said a gap exists between old and new members as night and day. Old members are mostly focused on production of lighting fixtures without needing high technology, instead focusing on aesthetics. Taiwan, once known as the “Kingdom of Lighting,” fueled the growth of the TLFEA that once had seven to eight hundred members. But Taiwan's lighting industry dimmed rapidly during the 1990s when many firms moved offshore to find lower labor and production costs.

Fortunately, the emerging LED illumination industry is driving new life into the TLFEA. The March meeting saw 486 registered members, with seventy to eighty companies ready to sign up. “The membership will soon exceed 600,” Chang said.

The new members, mostly engaged in LED lighting production, are generally regarded as high-tech, larger companies with considerable R&D competency, as well as being drastically different from makers of traditional lighting fixtures. “With both types of makers now in the TLFEA, we will try to build integration to enhance synergy to accelerate industrial upgrading of Taiwan's lighting industry on one hand, as well as help members create profitable new niches.”

International Safety Standards

Despite rapid growth of the LED industry, no globally recognized safety standards yet exist; but Chang believes that Taiwan, being the world's No. 1 LED producer by volume and No. 2 by value, should have the clout to determine such safety standards. So Chang has a plan: the TLFEA will cooperate with counterparts to develop safety standards for the LED lighting market in Greater China first, and then promote acceptance of the standards worldwide.

“The Beijing authority has been promoting ‘green lighting' in recent years. With China's massive market potential helping to further drive Taiwan's technology advancement, it's feasible for lighting firms in Greater China to set international safety standards for LED lighting,” he believes.

So Chang says the TLFEA will work closely with the Bureau of Standards, Metrology, and Inspection under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to make sure that LED safety standards it sets meet national standards. Meanwhile, the association will also strengthen cooperation with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which has been engaged in several LED technology research projects, from which technology transfers will accelerate technology developments of our membership at lower cost.

Already going global, Chang said that the TLFEA has already received invitations from the European and Australian organizers of the international LED technology forums, believing such global events are good opportunities for him to promote Taiwan's image as the world's leading LED producer.

Taiwan International Lighting Show

The 2010 Taiwan International Lighting Show, co-organized by the TLFEA and the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), was held March 12-15 and few days before the association's March meeting, after which the member companies praised the lighting show an overall success, as well as being especially glad to see its resumption after eight years.

According to Chang, the TILS was first held two decades ago and was regarded as a very popular event in Taipei for years, mainly fueled by the robust lighting industry in Taiwan then. Unfortunately investing overseas during the 1990s sapped industrial growth, virtually turning the lights out on the TILS for eight years.

But the TLFEA did not give up, instead worked with an exhibition management company to set up its own lighting show in Shengzhen, Guangdong Province, for Taiwanese-run lighting companies in China, with the annual event only lasting three years.

This year's TILS, sponsored by the Bureau of Foreign Trade under the MOEA, was much more successful relative to the one in Shengzhen, being much better organized. Chang attributes the success to three factors: First good timing or when Taiwan's lighting industry is evolving from making traditional lighting to more tech-oriented products as LED lighting; while the focus on advanced illumination technology was a major draw for global foreign buyers.

The other reason seems patriotic: the TILS, held on home turf, made Taiwanese lighting makers glad, enthusiastic to support their trade in Taiwan. “The TILS is a key mission for the TLFEA, which will continue to work closely with the TAITRA to hold this event in the following years. And next year's event will be much larger,” said Chang.