Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) announced today that it is investing EUR 40 million to increase its production capacity for OLED-based lighting at its facility in Aachen, Germany. The investment will support the rapid growth of Philips’ OLED business, with increased availability of Philips OLED modules for high-end design lighting applications for decorative and ambience creation purposes. The additional capacity at Philips’ OLED facility in Aachen, which was originally established as a pilot production line, is expected to be available in 2012.

A new solid state lighting technology, OLEDs emit a soft and diffused light offering a new type of design freedom that is also energy-efficient. OLED lighting applications are thus particularly attractive to high-end retail, hospitality and residential construction markets for decorative and ambience creation purposes, and also hold appeal for the design-conscious consumer.

“The thin, flat nature of OLEDs makes it possible to use and easily integrate light in furniture, walls, ceilings or floors in ways that are impossible with other light sources,” said Rene van Schooten, General Manager of the Lamps business at Philips Lighting. “This additional investment in the OLED production facility at Aachen will strengthen Philips’ leadership in bringing lighting innovation to the market, enhancing our ability to offer customized and innovative OLED lighting applications.”

Philips also recently opened its Lumiblade Creative Lab in Aachen, inviting lighting designers, luminaire manufacturers and creative minds to get a hands-on experience of OLED light as a material. Furthermore, Philips has established an OLED product development cooperation with the local CERTI Institute in Florianópolis, Brazil and operates a product development center in Shanghai, China, to be able to develop and customize OLED applications with lighting designers around the world.

Examples of Philips’ OLED innovations that are already available include -

• Philips’ “Lumiblade” OLED module that includes all the necessary electronics and a mechanical interface for easy integration into luminaires, furniture and interior designs.
• An interactive OLED lighting installation for hotels and private customers.
• “O’Leaf” by Philips Modular and “Edge” by Established & Sons– the first affordable OLED design luminaires for consumers

Philips’ investment in the OLED production facility at Aachen follows the execution of research projects funded in part by the EU, BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) and the government of North Rhine-Westphalia.