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Speech by Mr Lim Swee Nian, Executive Director Electronics, Economic Development Board, at the opening of Philips Lumileds at 190 Yishun Avenue 7, on Tuesday, 27 November 2007, 1.00pm
Mr Paul Peeters, Chairman & CEO, Philips Electronics Singapore,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
I am pleased to be here to open Philips Lumileds’ new facility in Singapore. Philips Lumileds is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and is the leader in high power LEDs. Today’s opening is significant as it is the company’s first overseas compound wafer fabrication facility for high power LEDs – and we are pleased that Singapore was chosen.
Significance of Philips Lumileds’ LEDs Facility
2 LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, are essentially semiconductor chips that emit light when they come in contact with electricity. Today, the most widely used sources of illumination are incandescent and fluorescent lamps. Compared with these traditional lighting, LEDs have lower power consumption, a 70-fold increase in lifespan, and fewer harmful pollutants. In fact, LED lighting is seen as the biggest revolution in lighting technology since Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. Over time, LED lighting is expected to revolutionize lighting in homes, cars, shops and cities with impressive economic and environmental savings. The modern LEDs market is relatively new and it is growing fast: according to the 2007 Strategies Limited report, the global LEDs market is expected to double from US$ 4.2 billion in 2006 to US$ 9.2 billion in 2009.
3 This development has implications for people and businesses. Today, LEDs are most commonly used as backlighting for cellular phone screens and keyboards, but are increasingly finding other uses. They are used to light up car dashboards and taillights, are made into flashlights and traffic signals. The potential for future applications is exciting.
4 As the world’s leading maker of LEDs, I am sure Philips Lumileds will continue to explore new applications to address global needs to balance economic growth and environmental concerns. Singapore, with its strong intellectual property protection, skilled engineering talents and established electronics industry, is able to partner Philips Lumileds to provide solutions to the global green market.
5 Philips Lumileds’ establishment in Singapore is testimony to our ability to help companies adapt to fast changing customers’ needs. Our skilled workforce helps investors to achieve swift time-to-volume, which is crucial in today’s competitive environment. In fact, I understand that Philips Lumileds was able to start its first batch of production within six months of its start-up.
6 Philips was first established in Singapore in 1951 as a trading entity. Today, it has expanded its activities to sales & marketing, manufacturing, product development and headquarters activities. We are glad that Singapore continues to play an active role in Philips’ growth strategy.
7 On this note, let me congratulate the management and the staff of Philips Lumileds on the opening of its new facility and wish you all great success. It is now my pleasure to declare Philips Lumileds’ facility open. Thank you.
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