Taipei, March 11, 2010 (CENS)--A total of 170 Taiwan`s lighting manufacturers will demonstrate their latest products and technologies at over 400 booths at the first Taiwan International Lighting Show, which will open tomorrow at the Exhibition Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center.

This show highlights energy-saving lighting products and technologies, including light emitting diode (LED), solar-powered lighting fixtures and cold cathode fluorescent lamps.

Major exhibitors include China Electric Mfg. Co., Ltd., Philips Electronics Industries (Taiwan) Ltd., Neo-Neon Holdings Ltd. (Taiwan), BJB Taiwan, Aurora International Lighting Corp., Advanced Connectek Inc., TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd., Opto Tech Corp., Rooster Lighting Co., Ltd., and Ledtech Electronics Co., Ltd.

A co-organizer of this trade fair, the quasi-government Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) states in a press release that it has convinced at least 300 overseas buyers through its 56 overseas offices to attend this show. The buyers include Adeo Group of France, Gemmo Spa of Italy, Bac-Pol S.A. of Poland, Trilux of Germany, Takasho of Japan, Grupo Lledo Iluminaction of Span, Radian Group of South Africa and Canlyte Inc. of Canada.

The council estimates a total of 3,300 buyers including local and overseas will attend the fair.

C.L. Wu, chairman of the Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association, pointed out that this fair is an ideal platform for demonstrating the island`s LED strength. He noted that Taiwan is already the world`s No.1 LED supplier by quantity and No.2 supplier by value, but its LED lighting industry still lacks a platform to show the world its muscle.

According to surveys by the government-backed Industry Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Taiwan`s LED-lighting industry is estimated to generate revenue totaling NT$7.4 billion (US$231 million at US$1:NT$32) this year.

Taiwan`s lighting industry began in 1954, along with the establishments of China Electric and Taiwan Fluorescent Lamp. The island once became the world`s leading source of lighting fixtures before mainland China`s lighting industry rose.

The mainland China`s underpricing and copycatting practices have undermined Taiwan`s lighting competitiveness, leading to an annual 8% drop in the island`s lighting exports and 10% growth in imports in each of the past three years. China`s low production costs drew over 90% of Taiwan`s lighting manufacturers to open workshops there, eventually bringing an end to a one-time Taiwan international lighting fair around 10 years ago.

(by Ken Liu)