German Future Prize 2007 for OSRAM’s LED Research Team
For outstanding research work on innovative lighting technologies Dr. Klaus Streubel and Dr. Stefan Illek from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, together with Dr. Andreas Bräuer from the Fraunhofer Institute for Optics and Precision Engineering in Jena, were awarded this year’s prize for technology and innovation from the President of Germany.
The German Future Prize for 2007 was awarded specifically for thin-film chip technology and its application in the Ostar family of LEDs.
Thin-film technology is the key to producing LED chips of extremely high brightness and also enables them to be packed tightly together to create a large illuminating surface. High-efficiency light emitting diodes from OSRAM that are based on this innovative technology will open up new applications ranging from mini projectors and rear projection televisions to night vision systems in vehicles and general room lighting. LEDs can already be used for example in the headlights and taillights of automobiles, providing an excellent visibility and giving automobile manufacturers enormous freedom to create new designs.
Outstanding achievement:
For the 2007 German Future Prize awarded by the German President Horst Köhler during a gala in Berlin yesterday, the judges were looking not only for exceptional technical, engineering and scientific achievements but also for practical applications, marketability and job creation. "We are proud of the fact that our creativity and determination will speed up the triumphal march of LED lighting", said Dr. Klaus Streubel, the spokesman for the winning team.
The German Future Prize is the most prestigious award for research and development in Germany and was presented this year for the eleventh time. "OSRAM has been producing pioneering innovations for many many years. And we are intensifying our efforts every year. This is a magnificent achievement for the team and OSRAM as a whole", said Martin Goetzeler, CEO of OSRAM. "This year’s award by the German President confirms our position as an innovation driver and is also a wonderful recognition of all the hard work done by our employees", said Dr. Rüdiger Müller, CEO of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. These development activities had been supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
OSRAM is one of the two leading lighting manufacturers in the world. Sales in the year ending September 30, 2006 totalled 4.6 billion euros, 88 percent of which came from outside Germany. OSRAM is a high-tech company in the lighting sector. Around 40 percent of sales comes from innovative products. This global player employs around 40,000 people worldwide, supplies customers in some 150 countries and has 49 production facilities in 18 countries. www.osram.com .
About OSRAM Opto Semiconductors:
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Regensburg, is a subsidiary of OSRAM. It offers its customers solutions based on semiconductor technology for the lighting, sensor and visualization sectors. The company has sites in Regensburg, San José (USA) and Penang (Malaysia) and more than 3600 employees. www.osram-os.com
