Exclusive interview: ams-Osram reshapes the future general lighting market through sustainable development and automotive technology

ams OSRAM is a leader in innovative solutions for light source emitters and sensors. It is currently strategically introducing its deep and high-performance automotive lighting technology into the general lighting market. As a technology-oriented company, ams-OSRAM has competitive advantages in R&D, innovation, product technology, etc., and creates more value for customers through high-quality products and services.

ams Osram not only has global manufacturing chains in Germany, China, Malaysia and other places, but also has in-house production capabilities in supply chains such as wafers, chips and phosphor materials. ams-OSRAM also has a strong presence in regional markets, especially in Asia, where it has product management, marketing and technical teams, allowing it to produce locally and provide real-time customer service. In addition, ams Osram combines advanced automotive-grade LED technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to reshape the future of the lighting industry and provide more intelligent, efficient and innovative LED solutions for daily applications.

Peter Naegelein, general manager of ams Osram Lighting Division, recently accepted an exclusive interview with TrendForce to provide an in-depth analysis of the changes in the lighting industry and share how the company uses its unique technological advantages. The interview process also discussed how the company has successfully extended its automotive lighting innovation technology to a wider range of lighting applications and the subversive potential of AI in lighting, and has become a major leading brand in the new generation of "pixelated lighting" revolution. During the interview, Peter Naegelein also demonstrated the company's breakthroughs in high-quality light output, human-centered lighting, and carbon reduction.
Peter Naegelein, General Manager of ams OSRAM Lighting Business (Photo source: ams OSRAM)

Sustainable development and automotive regulatory technology serve as the basis for the introduction of general lighting

Leveraging its leading position in the automotive lighting market, ams-OSRAM is introducing rigorously proven technologies such as pixelated lighting into general lighting applications. Pixelated lighting not only provides ultra-high brightness, but also saves a lot of space, bringing new potential applications to architectural lighting, such as displaying dynamic information on the exterior of buildings, providing real-time weather reports, and even projecting the latest traffic information directly onto the road through street lighting systems.

Peter Naegelein said in the interview: "Imagine that we can introduce the light source technology with 25,600 adjustable pixels into general lighting applications, using street lights to display text messages, heavy snow forecasts or road safety information. In addition, our light source technology also has great potential for indoor applications, and QR can be integrated into retail lighting systems. The Code is projected onto the ground to display information such as advertisements and personalized services, and can even help customers or travelers correct indoor navigation route errors in shopping malls or airports. "Such creative applications provide endless possibilities."

It is worth noting that the above imagination is being realized. Last year, ams-OSRAM collaborated with Shenzhen Xiaoxiang Light Display to launch the groundbreaking MLP3000 uLED smart projection lamp, which was designed by Xiaoxiang and uses ams-OSRAM's EVIYOS™ Shape LED technology. MLP3000 combines intelligent control, high brightness, energy saving and other features to provide an immersive interactive visual experience, bringing innovation to outdoor advertising, cultural tourism scenes, commercial exhibitions, etc.
Designed by Xiaoxiang, a new type of projection lamp using EVIYOS Shape technology (Photo source: ams OSRAM)

Peter Naegelein further emphasized that there are many untapped values ​​in pixelated lighting technology, especially in machine vision and robot-related application markets, where more innovative application examples are bound to appear.

AI accelerates the advent of the era of smart lighting, and the Chinese market leads innovation

The rapid development of AI technology also brings unprecedented opportunities to the lighting industry.

As Peter Naegelein said: "Disruptive innovation technology has reshaped the LED lighting industry, and AI is at the core of this change. It can be seen that AI applications have extended from digital workflows to physical products. China is an important driver of this technological revolution, bringing about changes at an alarming speed. We are very impressed to see this market partner embracing innovation and making continuous breakthroughs."

China's lighting industry already has cutting-edge applications related to AI and is adjusting with the pace of AI change. Looking to the future, ams-OSRAM hopes that pixelated lighting and AI can become the core technologies for indoor and outdoor lighting. AI systems create "hyper-personalized" experiences by integrating sensors and smart devices, such as customized advertising in shopping malls and real-time indoor navigation in airports.

In terms of office applications, the AI ​​lighting system can automatically adjust brightness according to the number of people, optimize energy efficiency, and synchronize with the HVAC system to create a smarter and greener workspace.

In terms of indoor environments, similar innovative solutions using pixelated lighting can provide real-time takeoff clearance indicators for aircraft or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), and can also create interactive lighting effects in outdoor immersive environments. This solution provides platform developers and lighting design manufacturers with a tool to push the limits of functional and experiential lighting technology for high-demand applications.

Developing the next generation of lighting excellence

As a pioneering leader in the global market, ams-OSRAM values ​​innovation. In response to the growing demand for human-centered lighting and high color rendering (CRI) solutions, ams-OSRAM is continuously improving LED performance while also developing health-oriented and full-spectrum lighting technologies.

Peter Naegelein said that the company is planning to use advanced fluorescence technology to shorten the performance gap between CRI 80 and CRI 90 products.

He further explained: "By optimizing chip size, fluorescent particle size and fluorescent coating technology, we have successfully reduced the performance gap to less than 10%. Our goal is to reduce the gap to less than 5% within four to five years."

With the trend of urbanization, more people choose to stay indoors. Because humans have been accustomed to living in outdoor environments for the past tens of thousands of years, our biological clocks are regulated by sunlight. Tunable white LED lighting technology can simulate natural daylight indoors as much as possible, thereby regulating circadian rhythm and maintaining human health.

In addition, the evolution of spectral adjustment technology can help lighting systems simulate changes in sunlight throughout the day, and high color rendering designs make indoor lighting closer to natural light to improve visual comfort and promote human health. The ultimate goal of this type of technology is to maintain consistent light quality indoors and outdoors.

In addition to the needs of the younger generation, the growth of the elderly population also brings new needs. Many elderly people are unable to go out frequently, which may lead to insufficient vitamin D intake. This phenomenon is especially obvious in countries with long winters and short days. In this case, lighting can be an important pillar in coordinating students' mental health. ams-OSRAM hopes to increase attention to this issue and provide solutions to improve the quality of life of the elderly.

Peter Naegelein said: "Considering that people spend more time indoors, our goal is to provide sufficient lighting. The innovative spectral solution allows us to simulate outdoor natural light as much as possible, thereby bringing outdoor sunlight indoors."

Emphasis on sustainable development: carbon emission assessment and economic impact

Facing the current environmental sustainability challenges, ams Osram actively adopts innovative technologies and selects materials to integrate the concept of reducing carbon footprint into its operating model.

ams-OSRAM will conduct carbon reduction and product life cycle assessment (LCA) on its LED product portfolio in stages. The goal is to propose verified carbon footprint reports to enable customers and value chain partners to achieve the following:

Accurately quantify the carbon emissions of each product

Effectively utilize the carbon trading mechanism

Reduce regulatory and tax burdens

Comply with sustainability reporting standards and corporate ESG standards

One practical approach is to change product packaging: changing traditional plastic packaging to recyclable bio-based packaging materials such as bamboo. This not only reduces environmental impact, but also helps customers achieve their decarbonization goals.
Image source: ams OSRAM

By promoting circular economy, transparency in carbon reduction, and value chain cooperation, ams OSRAM has set a new benchmark for environmentally conscious innovation and cost-effective sustainable development.

Making the future brighter, smarter and more sustainable

With its profound technical expertise and extensive and differentiated product portfolio, ams-OSRAM is committed to achieving innovation and sustainable development and continues to lead the transformation of the lighting industry. Utilizing unique technologies in the automotive field, combined with AI lighting and regional customer support, the company provides next-generation lighting solutions that are not only smarter and more effective, but also meet human and environmental health requirements. As global demand for smart, human-centered and environmentally friendly lighting increases, ams-OSRAM is ready to make a critical impact - reshaping the world's lighting experience.