Acquisition signifies better school lighting

Royal Philips' lighting spin-off Signify plans to combine lighting technology with expertise in the home appliance sector to seek stronger foothold in public utility, industrial and consumer sectors.

The Dutch company announced last month to acquire a 51-percent stake in Zhejiang Klite Lighting Holdings Co Ltd.

Vice President of Signify and General Manager of Signify China's marketing department Lim Sau Hong said Klite's products would bring additional high-quality solution for schools and educational institutions, likely to be early adopters of the latest lighting products and solutions because of special attention on education and children's health.

The transaction will bring additional innovation power to Klite, allowing it to develop, and is expected to be closed in the second half of this year. Klite will continue to operate as a standalone entity.

A recent Signify research also showed that young people, rather than spending time outside, are sitting longer under artificial light, with 67 percent of those aged between 18 and 24 years spending eight hours or more under unnatural light sources each day, compared with 43 percent among those over 55 years.

Only less than a third (32 percent) of respondents globally takes the quality of lighting into account when purchasing light bulbs although they're aware quality of lighting can have a strong influence on eye comfort, according to an online survey of 10,449 adults in Argentina, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland and the United States in May this year.

Globally, although 86 percent would rather give up their hearing than their eyesight but only a third actively take care of their eyes or get regular eye tests.