Sapphire expectations rise with solid-state lighting advances

With each year that we dive in to the LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards program, we see the path of solid-state lighting (SSL) technology change and determine the new directions in which the industry will move. Now in its fifth year, the Sapphire Awards program will feature 15 product/technology categories, as well as the Illumineer of the Year recognition. The submission portal opened on June 26, and you can find some background on the 2019 program here.

Over the years, we have listened to feedback from all sides — the reader audience, the manufacturers and product developers who enter the program, customers in our industry, and our advisory team. We hear you and want to be as clear and as helpful to you as we can in presenting the details of this awards process, from submission through evaluation to the final announcements.

Each year, the judging panel and our advisory team assess the categories as well as the timeline for the competition. We always want to ensure that we’re not overcomplicating things or being too repetitive to other awards programs, because there are a lot of programs clamoring for your attention. The main thing that really stands out in the Sapphire Awards program is that it truly recognizes the importance of a breadth of technologies across the LED and lighting industry. Whether your expertise is in materials, optics, LED drivers, OLEDs, or complete systems for smart lighting and more, we want to assure you that we take those contributions to the market very seriously.

If the product submission clearly demonstrates the added value that it brings to SSL end products and applications of lighting, then it is fully considered by the appropriate panelists. Our judges come from all areas of LED and lighting, and we make sure their selected categories for judging are both appropriate and represent no conflict of interest that would affect the evaluations.

Speaking of value, please don’t underestimate the value of all the support materials we list. It’s imperative that our judges understand the scope of the product submission or individual/team nomination for the Illumineer. Press releases are listed as options, which is fine, but datasheets with performance specifications and other sources such as application notes will provide excellent context for how the product was engineered and how it might be designed into an end product or application. On this same linked page, you can view all the categories with a little bit more drop-down detail on each one.

We are looking forward to seeing the next phase of industry drivers — whether still considered a “young upstart” or an established leader in the lighting industry, we’re looking for your contributions to the new era of technology in SSL. Visit the submissions portal and start your submissions now. The extra bonus is that the early bird deadline is not until Sept. 14. So bring us your best and brightest innovations!