Domestic makers of LEDs struggle to climb value chain

Though LED lighting technology is among the fastest-growing industries in the world today, prospects for domestic manufacturers in the world market remain dim due to a lack of core patents and technologies, according to GG-LED, a professional LED news website.

Currently, the United States, East Asia and Western Europe are the three pillars of the international LED industry. Markets for high-end products are occupied by a few international giants, which lead in terms of both patent quantity and quality.

In terms of patent ownership and market share, the leading global LED manufacturers and suppliers include Japan's Nichia, Dutch electronics giant Philips and Seoul Semiconductor based in South Korea, said Zhang Zhicheng, deputy director of the protection and coordination department at the State Intellectual Property Office, in an interview with the news website.