Contrac Lighting appoints new MD
(UK) - New Managing Director, Richard Hunt, to boost growth of Contrac Lighting.
Contrac Lighting, a UK manufacturer of lighting solutions for the industrial, retail, public and commercial sectors, announced the appointment of Richard Hunt as Managing Director (MD).
Hunt brings a wealth of commercial and sector experience to the post, having previously held senior roles with Clugston Construction, Hobson & Porter, Willmott Dixon and Wates Group, where he operated in many of Contrac Lighting’s core markets.
Along with fellow Directors Anne Shone, Kelvin Shone and Mel Collins, Hunt and the team will continue to nurture the growth of Contrac Lighting through the promotion and development of the company’s innovative and energy efficient range of UK-manufactured LED lighting products.
Signify acquires 51% stake in Klite Lighting
(China) - Acquisition strengthens Signify’s strategic position in LED market.
Signify has agreed
to acquire a 51% stake in Chinese
LED lamp and luminaire manufacturer Zhejiang
Klite Lighting Holdings Co., Ltd.
The transaction will bring
additional scale and innovation power to Klite Lighting, allowing it to
generate further cost efficiencies and enhance its product development,
including connected lighting offerings. This will strengthen Klite Lighting’s
position to serve branded and private label customers with innovative and
cost-efficient products.
“We are very excited to
strengthen our partnership with Signify, whose market leading position and
state-of-the-art technology will form a great synergy with our know-how,” said
Yanwei Shen, Chairman of Klite Lighting. “In addition, we’ll continue to
provide products and services to existing and new customers, with whom we’re
committed to further develop strategic partnerships.”
“We’re pleased to join forces
with Klite Lighting as this move will strategically strengthen our position in
the supply chain of LED lamps and luminaires,” added Rowena Lee, Business Group
Leader LED at Signify.
“Our combined expertise,
innovation power and distribution scale will help to deliver cost-efficient
innovations to customers faster, including connected lighting offerings. In
addition, this acquisition will allow us to capture value from the growing
private label segment.”
Klite Lighting has been one of Signify’s main
suppliers of high-quality and very cost-efficient LED lamps and luminaires for
many years. In addition, the company manufactures a wide range of LED lamps and
luminaires for a large, global customer base, which generated around €250
million in sales to third parties in 2018.
The transaction, which is
subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the second
half of 2019, after which Klite Lighting will continue to operate as a
standalone entity.
Studio Drift bring drone artwork to NASA
(USA) - Studio Drift collaborate with Duran Duran on Franchise Freedom presentation.
Studio Drift flew its
drone artwork Franchise Freedom above
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Rocket Garden in celebration of the Apollo 11
lift-off on 16 July.
Duran Duran composed a
special piece of music for the artwork, and performed live together, with
original astronauts Michael Collins, Charlie Duke and Rick Armstrong watching
in front of a full moon.
Speaking at the event, Ralph
Nauta, artist at Studio Drift, said: “Tonight, we flew our artwork in front of
the full moon. It felt like we were bringing some space travel history back to
Earth.”
Nick Rhodes, Keyboardist
for Duran Duran, added: “I first encountered Studio Drift’s drone pieces at Art
Basel Miami in 2017. I was completely enchanted by what they had created. I’d
never seen technology like this be used in such an emotional way.
“When we were asked to
play at the 50-year anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission at the Kennedy Space
Center, we all knew that this needed to be something extraordinary. So, Duran
Duran and Studio Drift seemed like the perfect collaboration.
“Once we began to talk
about working together, everything fell into place seamlessly. We created an
8-minute orchestral rearrangement of the Duran Duran song The Universe Alone specifically for Studio Drift’s latest drone art
performance. I’m thrilled to say we have lift off.”
Lonneke Gordijn, artist
at Studio Drift, continued: “The moon landing made us think about our lives
here on Earth more than life on the moon. That’s what our work Franchise Freedom is about, human behaviour
on Earth.”
Performance In Lighting Launch Space Research
(Italy) - Performance In Lighting launch research into LED lighting in space.
Performance In Lighting and Argotec, an Italian aerospace engineering company based in Turin, have partnered to develop scientific research aimed at experimenting with a highly innovative LED lighting system in space.
In close collaboration with Argotec, Performance In Lighting has provided a highly specialised team capable of studying technical, physical and thermal parameters able to meet quality standards in orbit. The direction undertaken by Performance In Lighting is supported by a series of related activities that combine the scientific aspect with the educational and social cultural diffusion that has always attested to the Group’s spirit, vividly oriented towards all types of virtuous collaboration in the social area.
In this context, the exhibit Così Celeste was inaugurated in Orvieto on Saturday, June 22.
The exhibit, dedicated to space and scientific research, was staged to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and subsequent space exploration.
The exhibit seeks to reconstruct the great conquests from those that led to understanding the skies to leaving footsteps on the lunar soil: a true journey seen through new images, from Galileo Galilei to the space stations. It has all been developed in various segments: the discovery of the Moon, meteorites, the protagonists of space and the relative Russian/Soviet, American and European conquests, enriched by unique objects such as space suits and gloves, specifically the suit worn by Samantha Cristoforetti, fragments of lunar dust, objects that have been key to many missions and photographs autographed by astronauts.
The exhibit, sponsored by Performance In Lighting and hosted at the Villa Mercede theatre in the picturesque town centre near the Duomo, will remain open and free of charge until 4 November 2019. Also involved are the cooperative MIR Onlus (Artisans of Peace) which has made available some people included in a path of social reintegration to serve as guards, the Galilean Museum and the Associazione di astrofili orvietani “Nuova Pegasus”.
Seoul Semiconductor to use Casambi wireless technology in SunLike Series
(Finland) - Casambi and Seoul Semiconductor to
showcase collaboration at [d]arc room
in September.
Seoul Semiconductor’s
SunLike Series LEDs can now be controlled via Casambi’s wireless control
technology, as the two companies join forces.
The collaboration
provides lighting designers with precision control of LED lights that match the
spectrum of the sunlight, giving lighting designers and the lighting community
the tools to create truly human-centric lighting solutions.
Designers can use
Casambi’s Bluetooth-based wireless control system and app with products
containing SunLike Series LEDs to precisely adjust the level of light, in the
knowledge that the spectrum reflects real sunlight.
Casambi allows lights to
be controlled by a timer, or by a huge variety of presence/motion sensors and
ambient daylight detection sensors. It can control luminaires that shift in
colour temperature over a very wide range, and designers have the freedom to
configure dimming, and create scenes or animations to suit the particular
application.
Timo Pakkala, co-founder
of Casambi, said: “Casambi’s partnership with Seoul Semiconductor puts power
into the hands of the lighting designer, who can use their expertise to decide
how to customise the lighting to the needs of the particular application and
the users of the space, and plan an effective human-centric solution based on the
latest science.”
Seoul Semiconductor will be demonstrating what Casambi can do with its
SunLike Series of products at [d]arc
room, held in London from 19-22 September 2019.
www.casambi.com
www.seoulsemicon.com
First phase of Illuminated River launched
(UK) - London, Cannon Street, Southwark and Millenium Bridge illuminated with lighting from Signify.
Four bridges along the
River Thames were last night (17 July) transformed, as the first phase of
London’s Illuminated River - a project that will eventually see up to fifteen
bridges along the Thames lit up - was launched.
Conceived by American
artist Leo Villareal, alongside British architectural practice Lifschutz
Davidson Sandilands, Illuminated River is a philanthropically-funded initiative
supported by the Mayor of London and delivered by the Illuminated River
Foundation, that aims to celebrate the architecture and heritage of London’s
historic bridges.
The first four bridges
of this project - London, Cannon Street, Southwark and Millenium - are now lit
up in unison, with sequenced LED patterns subtly unfolding across each unique
structure.
Villareal’s artwork
replaces outdated and inefficient lighting on the bridges, providing a more
long-term sustainable solution for lighting the Thames. Designed by Atelier
Ten, the lighting will minimise direct light spill onto the river and reduce
energy consumption. While the former lighting ran all night, Illuminated
River’s connected LED lighting from Signify will be switched off at 2am.
The artwork has been
sensitively developed, paying attention to the heritage, wildlife and location
of each bridge, respecting and revealing their individual histories and
architectural features, with a goal of refocusing attention on the Thames
bridges as social, historical and architectural landmarks, celebrating their
role in London’s enduring global identity.
On the newly illuminated
bridges, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I am delighted that Illuminated
River is bringing more free and accessible artwork to Londoners. The Thames has
played a key role in the growth and development of our capital for centuries,
and this unique artwork will help Londoners and visitors see it in a whole new
way.”
Artist Leo Villareal
added: “With Illuminated River, the largest artwork I’ve ever conceived, I’m
hoping to reveal the truly unique, inspiring and poetic character of the
Thames. The integrated nuances and motions across the bridges create a unified
piece that celebrates and enhances the river as a continuous living entity. I’m
both delighted and humbled by the completion of this initial phase and I can’t
wait for the public to experience the first four bridges.”
Work is already underway
on phase two, scheduled for completion by Autumn 2020, which will include
Blackfriars Road, Waterloo, Golden Jubilee Footbridges, Westminster and Lambeth
bridges.
www.illuminatedriver.london
www.signify.com
Future Designs launch Lightography photography competition
(UK) - Competition to focus on natural light.
Future Designs has launched a new Instagram photography
competition.
The competition, called Lightography,
invites entrants to imagine a world without artificial light distorting the
environment around us.
Since mankind discovered fire, our reliance on manufactured
light has increased from the candle to the electric lamp, and in our
technology-driven world, we are surrounded by artificial lighting emanating
from computers, cars, tablets and phones.
The intentionally open brief for the competition allows for
the creative exploration of natural light through images without manufactured
light interference.
Photos are to be taken on mobile phones only, following the
chosen theme of natural light, which includes any time during the 24-hour
circadian rhythm, enabling the use of sunlight and its reflection via the moon,
day, dawn, dusk or night to illuminate your image, or these mediums can be the
image itself.
Images must be uploaded to Instagram, where users must tag
Future Designs (@lightthefuture) and use the hashtag #lightographyfd.
A panel of judges will form a shortlist from the entries,
before the winners are announced by 15th October. This announcement
will be followed by an awards event at the Clerkenwell Lighthouse, where prizes
will be awarded, including the first place prize of a new iPhone XS.
The judging panel will include:
- Gareth Gardner, Design Photographer
- Jane Wells, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager at The Children’s Trust
- John McCallion, Executive Director of Strategy at BDG architecture + design
- Julian Sharpe, Director at tp Bennett
- Phil Hutchinson, Director of Strategy at BDG architecture + design
- Theresa Dowling, Editor of FX Magazine
Future Designs will donate a minimum of £10 per entry to The
Children’s Trust Tadworth. Participants can enter up to three images with their
entry, but can only enter once. Entry is free, and the deadline for entries is
15th September.
To register interest, contact lightographyfd@futuredesigns.co.uk
Recolight recommend changes to WEEE System
(UK) - Nigel Harvey, Recolight CEO, believes
there are three areas in the WEEE directive in which change is needed.
Recolight CEO Nigel Harvey has recommended changes to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, at an event to mark the 12th anniversary of the commencement of the WEEE regulations in the UK.
“Over the last three
years, there has been a material decline in the tonnage of waste lamps
collected in the UK, along with other WEEE”, said Harvey. “Fresh thinking is
needed to reverse this decline.”
He proposed three areas
in which change is needed: more ways for consumers to return their waste;
tackling online “freeriders”; and more enforcement powers for Agencies.
Consumers currently have
limited options for correct disposal of WEEE - largely limited to their local
Household Waste Recycling Centres. “That is clearly no longer sufficient,” said
Harvey.
“We need to give
consumers more options. Those options should include providing kerbside
collections of WEEE and requiring high street retailers to take back WEEE
instore.”
Many of these changes,
Harvey suggested, can be achieved by a review of the Distributor Takeback
Scheme, which currently allows retailers to opt out of providing a WEEE
takeback service.
However, implementing
these changes could increase costs for some producers and retailers. As a result,
Harvey recommends tackling non-compliant producers selling through online
marketplaces: “The level of non-compliant product sold through online
marketplaces and fulfilment houses is truly shocking.
“We found that 76% of
LED light bulbs offered for sale on one marketplace were not WEEE compliant.
These producers avoid the costs incurred by companies that follow the law.
“We are delighted that
the government has now consulted on making online marketplaces responsible for
the packaging compliance of product for which they facilitate the import into
the UK. What is now needed is for the government to adopt that same approach
for WEEE.
“Ensuring that online
retailers, and all producers, bear their fair share of WEEE costs should
minimise or even eliminate any additional burden on compliant producers and
high street retailers.”
Harvey’s final
recommendation is that the UK’s four environment agencies need more enforcement
powers to drive compliance.
“If we change the law to
tackle freeriders, it is also vital that the agencies have better enforcement
powers,” he said. “That should include statutory fines for free-riding
producers.
“The existence of an
annual compliance fee every year since 2013 means it is possible to calculate,
to the nearest penny, the costs avoided when producers do not comply. That
creates the ideal base cost for a statutory fine.
“Implementing this
mechanism would, at last, create the fair system that compliant companies
crave.”
[d]arc room: live lecture programme announced
(UK) - Lecture programme, sponsored by Delta Light, to feature 32 presentations from leading lighting professionals.
The [d]arc room: live lecture programme, sponsored by Delta Light, has been announced.
The programme will feature 32 quick-fire, 15-minute presentations from leading lighting professionals, and will be held at [d]arc room, in Hall 13 of the Old Truman Brewery as part of London Design Fair on 19th - 22nd September. Curated by creative consultants and lighting designers Light Collective, [d]arc room: live is free to attend, while the talks will also be streamed live across the internet.
Andy Barnett, Delta Light UK, said: “Delta Light is thrilled to be supporting [d]arc room for a second year running, as a prominent industry date in the architectural, design and lighting fields.
“Thought leadership and knowledge transfer is something that we are very passionate about, so to support [d]arc room: live, which showcases the industry talent, seems a perfect fit for Delta Light. We are very excited to be involved in what looks set to be another successful show!”
Paul James, [d]arc room director, added: “Light Collective has done an incredible job getting so many fantastic speakers on board once again. The format is exciting and proved to be very popular, so I hope people will come down to see it live as well as watching it online.”
Speakers for this year’s [d]arc room: live programme include: Moritz Waldemeyer; Magdalena Gomez, Elektra; Lora Kaleva, BDP; Sacha Abizadeh, WSP; Clementine Fletcher Smith, Speirs + Major; James Poore, JPLD; Neil Tomkinson, SBID; Sabrina Voecks, JOI Design; Kael Gillam, Nulty; Lee Painter, BDP; Paulina Vilalobos, DiaV, and Jo Littlefair, Goddard Littlefair.
The full programme of speakers
can be viewed at www.darcroom.com/darc-room-live
Seoul Semiconductor SunLike
SunLike is an LED light source that combines the latest optical and compound semiconductor technology to lower the blue light peak similar to the sunlight spectrum, contributing to maintaining a stable human circadian rhythm and enhancing the colour clarity of objects. Its LED technology closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight. This natural spectrum of light is achieved by combining Seoul Semiconductor’s LED chip technology with Toshiba Materials’ TRI-R technology, a leading global phosphor compound.
Aria Trentacinque 35
With 360-degree distribution, configurable miniature spotlights and a multitude of colour finishes and options, from hidden to revealed, Trentacinque 35 creates concealed details or becomes the centrepiece of a breath-taking installation. The linear system has three different types of light: indirect diffused uplight, direct diffused downlight, and accent lighting. Trentacinque linear profile is a cylindrical element that can create diffused uplight and/or diffused downlight.
gds Alundra
The Alundra track light is milled from a single piece of aluminium for optimal thermal management. Designed to include a hidden driver, the Alundra also offers newly developed solid polymer technology to provide a defined and clear focus of light. Key Features include 97 CRI, solid polymer technology with anti-glare, DALI dimming protocol, modular front end with interchangeable accessories, and zoom feature option.
