Novaled working on OLED lighting for European car firm

Dan Rogers - 30 Mar 2010

Novaled is continuing its efforts to get OLED lighting into the marketplace by collaborating with a European car manufacturer for interior lighting.

The unnamed partner has already worked with the German OLED developer on the concept for the interior illumination using Novaled's lighting technology. A vehicle using the OLEDs is likely to enter the market in the next two years, says VP of sales and marketing Gerd Günther.

'We're already beyond the concept in some respects, when the technology then goes into planning for serious production,' he states.

'The cooperation is based on backlight and interior lights for the vehicle.'

Lighting markets

The project is part of Novaled's wider efforts to establish markets for OLED lighting. The company recently announced that it would be presenting indoor lighting technologies at the forthcoming Light + Building fair in April.

The company provides materials for OLED panel producers such as Philips and Osram, which are now marketing off-the-shelf products.

Günther explains: 'We like to push the market indirectly, because it means our core business [of materials supply] is being pushed as well. If there is a certain requirement from the market for high volumes of lighting panels, we can take that to Philips or Osram, which goes back into our core business of producing materials.'

Novaled is hoping to add to its network of building industry connections at the upcoming event by demonstrating the use of OLED lighting to architects and construction firms.

'We want to stress how this new technology could be integrated in products, whether that is desktop lamps, ceilings or wall fixtures. We want to stress also that this is no longer an R&D technology - it is mature enough to be integrated into a product,' Günther adds.

The company already works with German LED light producer Trilux.

Asian manufacturing

And Günther notes that the company is in contact with the Asian OLED firms now announcing interest in lighting markets, such as LG, with the aim of supplying materials to these companies.

He says: 'We're in close contact with most of those companies. Companies in Asia like Samsung and LG have a lot of money behind them, and when they decide to go into a business, they really go for it.'

However, he believes that Europe and the US may have an advantage of knowing the market better.

'In my point of view, they may be lacking where the sales and marketing of OLED lighting is concerned,' he remarks.