"LED lighting has already been taken over by China. It's no longer competitive in terms of price. We need to leverage our IT powerhouse status to survive with smart lighting, but I don't know what that means."

A member of the LED lighting industry lamented at a forum. The speaker was frustrated, and the listeners felt helpless. Could there be a smart(?) way to overcome this crisis?

The annual lighting market, worth 120 trillion won, is expected to transition to a semiconductor lighting market, reaching 300 trillion won by 2020. While major domestic companies are investing in semiconductors, global companies like Philips, Osram, and GE already control 60% of the global lighting market.

▲ Philips' Hue smart lighting products that control lighting with a smartphone

Sales of smart LED bulbs have already increased by a staggering 2,900% between 2012 and 2014, and annual shipments of smart wireless LED bulbs are projected to increase by over 4,000% by 2019 (according to ON World). Furthermore, market research firm Market Research forecasted that the visible light communication (VLC) market would grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29.3% from 2013 to 2018.

Where does Korea stand in the lighting market? I wonder where we fit between China, which is indiscriminately attacking with cheap LEDs, global lighting companies, and the uncharted territory of smart lighting. The LED market, which was previously led by mobile devices and BLUs, is now evolving into a market for LED lighting (KRW 100 trillion) and then LED convergence (KRW 300 trillion). We must keep an eye on this trend.

We must find a connection between IT and smart technologies in energy-saving, replaceable lighting and next-generation, innovative LED lighting for specialized lighting. Depending on how we respond to this vast market, it could either become a land with a clear owner or an uncharted territory.

This means we shouldn't ignore the intelligent smart lighting market, where LED lights can be connected to smartphones to turn them on and off inside and outside the home, or where wired and wireless sensors control lighting in streetlights and public buildings. For example, products like Osram's Lightify and Philips Hue, which integrate with smartphones and sensors, allow for color adjustments and remote control via smartphone. Sensor integration also allows users to monitor high humidity or carbon dioxide levels based on lighting color, and even check for incoming emails.

GE's iBeacon-equipped lighting system utilizes Li-Fi technology, which exchanges data using visible light emitted from LEDs. Li-Fi minimizes infrastructure costs by installing LED lights and utilizing light detectors. Acuity Brands Lighting, which connects beacons, uses store LED lights to act as beacons, providing store information. Some products, like Xiaomi's smartphone-connected Yeelight, have adopted a low-cost strategy from the outset.

The reason we believe that diverse smart lighting is an area where we can differentiate ourselves is that our strength lies in the fact that there is ample room for IT technology integration, and that there is still no internationally established certification system for system lighting.

However, the smart lighting industry has many technical issues to address. Smart lighting is often categorized into energy-saving, emotional, and convergent lighting. These categories encompass issues related to smart lighting's light source technology, lighting fixtures, control systems, and content technology. For example, light sources must effectively blend wavelengths to enhance efficiency, while lighting fixtures must be optimized for user needs. Furthermore, photobiological stability and glare prevention must be ensured to minimize adverse effects on human health.

Dr. Song Sang-bin of the Korea Institute of Photonics Technology stated, "Lighting demands extreme simplicity, so it shouldn't be approached like IT products, where development is driven by suppliers." He added, "While there are already many convenient lighting products on the market, many don't sell, demonstrating this point clearly." Dr. Song also emphasized that, to remain competitive, manufacturers must create products with simple processes, and consumers must emphasize ease of use.

Creating smart lighting products will certainly not be simple and straightforward from the start. However, if we integrate our IT technology into simple smart lighting products, lighting products that consumers can use naturally without any special manipulation, we have a good chance of success. For example, if we proactively invest in new technologies like visible light communication, we can secure a unique competitive edge.