End Markets Change the Supply Chain: LEDs

In the past several years, the light emitting diodes (LED) industry experienced the type of rapid growth in end user demand that significantly impacts supply chains. Market research firm Strategies Unlimited sized the 2012 worldwide market for LED components at $13.7 billion, with expected growth to $15 billion in 2017. The market for LEDs expanded very rapidly due to environmental and energy concerns about conventional lighting, and the attractiveness of LEDs' lower energy consumption, no mercury content, and longer product lifespan. As a result, LEDs are making major inroads into sectors such as general illumination, mobile devices, displays, traffic signals, and automotive.