Thirty years of light illuminating Shanghai, a new journey led by intelligence toward the future—Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association’s 30th-anniversary celebration was held successfully.

“Thirty Years of Light Illuminating Shanghai”

“A New Journey, Leading the Future with Intelligence”

    From 1996 to 2026, the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association has celebrated its thirtieth anniversary.

    Thirty years mark the evolution of lighting—from incandescent and fluorescent lamps to LEDs—alongside a transformative leap toward smart lighting and healthy light environments. It also reflects a city’s continuous renewal, from the neon lights of Nanjing Road and the nighttime splendor of the Huangpu River to the dazzling displays of the World Expo and the China International Import Expo. Each upgrade and iteration in Shanghai’s lighting industry bears witness to the dedication and aspirations of those who have shaped it.

    On September 21, 2026, the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association held its 30th-anniversary celebration and a seminar on trends in lighting technology and applications at the Shanghai Baohua Marriott Hotel. The event was themed “Thirty Years of Light Illuminating Shanghai, A New Journey Leading the Future,” combining forward-looking insights into lighting trends with a heartfelt tribute to the industry. While revisiting the association’s three-decade journey, the gathering fostered industry-wide consensus, showcased achievements, and established a professional platform for government–enterprise collaboration, cross-industry dialogue, and integration of industry, academia, and research. Discussions centered on emerging areas such as green and low-carbon solutions, intelligent connectivity, human-centric health, and scenario-based integration.

A Gathering of Distinguished Guests

          Ushering in a New Era Together

    Hosted by the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association and organized by Shanghai Yaming Lighting Co., Ltd., the event received strong support from Mingkai Lighting, Qingyi Group, Shanghai Xiangshan Industrial, Shanghai Lighting City, Wuku Lighting, and other partners. Leaders and guests—including Liu Shengping, Vice Chairman of the China Lighting Electrical Appliances Association; Zhou Jiangang, President of the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association; and past presidents Gong Xiaozhi, Shao Liqun, Liu Jingwei, Lu Zeming, and Su Yaokang—joined colleagues from the lighting, architecture, elderly care, design, and media sectors to celebrate this milestone.

    The conference was hosted live by Zhang Yao, a presenter from Shanghai People’s Broadcasting Station. Zhou Jiangang, President of the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association, delivered the opening address. He emphasized that over the past thirty years, the association has remained in sync with the city, advanced alongside the industry, and stood united with its members, witnessing Shanghai’s lighting sector grow from small beginnings to become a powerful force. At this new starting point, the association will continue to serve as a reliable partner to the government, a supportive ally to businesses, and a driving force for the industry, building platforms, connecting resources, setting standards, and promoting practical applications to guide Shanghai’s lighting industry from “product export” toward “solution export, brand export, and value export.”

    Following this, Liu Shengping, Vice Chairman of the China Lighting Electrical Appliances Association, extended warm congratulations on behalf of the association to mark the 30th anniversary of the Shanghai Lighting Electrical Appliances Industry Association. He commended the association for its deep roots in the industry, its commitment to serving members, and its significant contributions to standard-setting, industry–academia–research collaboration, and industrial upgrading. He encouraged Shanghai’s lighting sector to embrace trends toward intelligence, green practices, and low carbon emissions, continuing to lead by example and make even greater contributions to the high-quality development of the lighting industry.

    During the official launch ceremony marking the association’s 30th anniversary, President Zhou Jiangang, together with Vice Presidents Ling Weihu, Lin Chengbing, Zhao Min, Yao Mengming, Hua Yong, Wang Hui, and former presidents Gong Xiaozhi, Shao Liqun, Liu Jingwei, Lu Zeming, and Su Yaokang, jointly activated the ceremonial switch. As the audience counted down, the anniversary theme “Thirty Years of Light Illuminating Shanghai, A New Journey Leading the Future” officially commenced, with all attendees witnessing this historic moment.

Forward-Looking Insights

          Anticipating the Future

In the “Shanghai Lighting Technology and Application Trends Seminar” session, four distinguished speakers shared their perspectives on scenarios, AI, low carbon initiatives, and cutting-edge optoelectronic technologies.

Professor Yu Liang from the School of International Creativity at Shanghai University of Engineering Science presented “Delving into Scenarios, Anticipating the Future,” arguing that lighting is evolving from a mere “product mounted on the ceiling” to an integral part of the spatial environment itself. Scenario-based design represents the future expression of light. By integrating resources across culture, technology, commerce, tourism, and ecology, he explored pathways to break traditional boundaries, foster collaborative innovation, and create added value, offering broader insights into how the lighting industry can embrace scenario-driven, cross-sectoral integration.

    Ling Weihu, Executive Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Yaming Lighting Co., Ltd., delivered a presentation titled “AI Empowering Smart Lighting.” Drawing on the “15th Five-Year Plan” for digitalization and the growing trend of large-scale AI models, he shared practical examples of AI’s penetration throughout the entire lighting supply chain, including smart urban lighting operations powered by an “intelligent brain,” as well as AI-driven energy-saving solutions across multiple scenarios.

    Wang Jun, General Manager and Chief Expert at Shanghai Maisuo Lighting Design Consulting Co., Ltd., presented “The Path to Low-Carbon Urban Lighting Development.” Analyzing the impact of the “dual carbon” goals from policy, market, and technological perspectives, he explained how low carbon is shifting from a mere bonus to a mandatory requirement, making retrofitting existing infrastructure the central battleground for low-carbon lighting. Competition within the industry is transitioning from focusing on individual lamp parameters to assessing overall system-level carbon benefits, while business models are evolving from selling luminaires to providing energy-saving and carbon-reduction services.

    Professor Tian Pengfei from Fudan University shared “Advances in Ultra-Low-Power Micro-LED Optical Interconnects,” highlighting how, against the backdrop of “light replacing copper,” Micro-LED technology—with its ultra-low power consumption and high bandwidth density—has emerged as a key enabler for next-generation high-speed optical interconnections in computing racks. His team has set world records for Micro-LED device bandwidth in yellow and red light bands, offering a “Shanghai solution” for AI computing infrastructure.

Cross-Industry Dialogue

          Lighting for the Elderly

The cross-industry forum on age-friendly lighting was moderated by Yao Mengming, General Manager of Lighting Design and Applications for Greater China at Listenfly. Five distinguished guests—Ma Yanwen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Elderly Care and Aging Industry Association; Lu Wanjing, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Decoration and Renovation Industry Association; Li Xia, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Furniture Industry Association; Hao Luoxi, Chairperson of the Shanghai Lighting Society; and Ma Zhiwen, General Manager of Shanghai Silver Economy Development Co., Ltd.—took the stage to engage in a cross-sector dialogue on implementing age-friendly lighting within Shanghai’s “9073” elderly care framework.

    The elderly care sector shared insights into embedding smart, age-friendly lighting into three key scenarios: space management, caregiving services, and daily living habits. Meanwhile, the decoration and renovation industry proposed a roadmap emphasizing “design first, construction integration, and circulation planning,” advocating for early involvement in spatial design to ensure lighting becomes the “first stroke” rather than a mere afterthought. The furniture industry focused on the “final ten centimeters,” exploring how beds, wardrobes, sofas, and other pieces of furniture could be seamlessly integrated with ambient, auxiliary, or embedded lighting systems, turning furniture into companions that help seniors “see clearly, find easily, and feel at peace.” The Lighting Society called for unified technical standards across industries, while the silver economy operator shared reflections and recommendations based on their experience operating China’s first integrated space dedicated to the silver economy, encompassing exhibition, testing, sales, and consultation.

    The forum ultimately reached a cross-industry consensus around “policy guidance — demand refinement — spatial transformation — product integration — standard protection,” outlining a complete closed-loop pathway for Shanghai’s age-friendly lighting industry—from “illumination” to “care.”

Standing Firm at Thirty

          Setting Off Again

The successful conclusion of this anniversary celebration not only looked back on the association’s three-decade journey but also sparked meaningful discussions on AI empowerment, low-carbon urban lighting, ultra-low-power Micro-LED optical interconnects, and cross-industry integration of age-friendly lighting.

    Thirty years represent both a milestone and a fresh beginning. Facing new frontiers—green and low-carbon development, intelligent connectivity, human-centric health, and scenario-based integration—the Shanghai lighting industry is transforming light from “illumination” to “care,” from “products” to “services,” and from “individual points” to “systemic solutions.” Age-friendly lighting, low-carbon lighting, AI-powered lighting, and optical interconnects are collectively shaping a new vision for Shanghai’s lighting sector. Standing firm at thirty means establishing solid foundations—and charting a clear course ahead.