LightFair Innovation Awards Spotlight Industry Breakthroughs
The LightFair Innovation Awards, a signature event of LightFair 2025, celebrated 11 standout category winners and, subsequently, capped the event with four prestigious overall awards. Hosted by Mark Roush, the ceremony highlighted cutting-edge achievements across the lighting industry, bringing well-deserved attention to products that push the boundaries of design, technology, and performance.
A New Chapter with Messe Frankfurt
During the event’s opening, Mark Roush warmly welcomed attendees and emphasized Messe Frankfurt’s new partnership with LightFair. “Messe Frankfurt is proud to be a new partner in bringing LightFair into its 35th year,” Roush said. “Together with IES and IALD, we are combining expertise and energy to reimagine LightFair with a renewed focus on innovation.”
Winners by Category
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Drivers:
Winner: Arkalumen’s ORB Series LED Drivers.
Judges commended its compact design and versatility, noting that it allows manufacturers to create flexible and efficient products. -
Commercial Indoor:
Winner: BIOS Lighting’s SkyView Tile.
According to Roush, “This product provides vertical optical distribution of blue light to the eyes while delivering high CRI task lighting—truly optimized for circadian health.” -
Control Enabling Technology:
Winner: DALI Alliance’s DALI+.
The judging panel praised its leap into wireless control, stating, “This represents a big step forward, extending DALI’s benefits to wireless networks.” -
Control Components:
Winner: LTECH Europe’s Five Channel Constant Voltage Decoder.
Judges highlighted its intuitive interface and flexible fixture-level control, making it easy to integrate into various systems. -
Cove, Strips, and Tape:
Winner: Shenzhen LEADMY’s Diode on Board (DOB) Light Strip.
Roush noted, “Its hybrid approach and ultra-uniform brightness make it a standout in its category.” -
QTL Wins the Track Lighting Best in Category Award Track Lighting:
Winner: QTL’s Lucy Mono Point.
The judges appreciated its interchangeable optics and tool-free color temperature adjustments. For example, calling it a “game changer for flexibility.” -
Keystone Technologies Wins the LAMPS Category Lamps:
Winner: Keystone’s Emergency Direct Drive T8 Tubes.
The product’s integrated driver and battery impressed judges. So, it provides a simple yet reliable solution for emergency lighting.
LED Chips & Modules:
Winner: Nichia’s Cube Direct Mountable Chip.
The panel praised its wide light distribution, explaining that it’s ideal for designing thinner, lighter fixtures.
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Downlights:
Winner: LEDRAbrands’ NU Pro One Inch Downlight.
Roush remarked, “This checks all the boxes for specifiers: intensity, sleek form, and an IP65 rating.” -
Outdoor Luminaires:
Winner: Organic Lighting Systems’ Fortacast.
Judges were especially impressed by its polymer concrete construction and modular flexibility, calling it “a unique and durable solution.” -
Indoor Decorative:
Winner: PureEdge Lighting’s Pipeline.
With its rotatable modules and customizable designs, this product earned accolades for both aesthetics and engineering precision.
Highlighting Overall Excellence
Afterward, the ceremony wrapped up with four distinguished overall awards:
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Judges’ Citation Award:
Winner: ams OSRAM’s EVIYOS Shape.
Roush enthusiastically noted, “Packing 25,000 LEDs into such a small chip is remarkable—this one definitely stood out.” -
Technical Innovation Award:
Winner: BIOS Lighting’s SkyView Tile.
Roush praised its circadian capabilities, calling it “a true technological leap that sets a new bar for lighting design.” -
Design Excellence Award:
Winner: DALI Alliance’s DALI+.
The product’s seamless wireless capabilities earned praise, cementing its place as a leader in control system innovation. -
Organic Lighting Systems Earns Best in Category and Best Product for their FortaCast and Most Innovative Award -
Most Innovative Product of 2025:
Winner: Organic Lighting Systems’ Fortacast.
Roush summed it up perfectly: “This product is original, practical, and built to last—an outstanding example of what innovation should look like.”
Recognizing the Team Effort
Moreover, Roush also applauded the judges—Raymond Janik of RLMAC Consulting, Alessio Urso of Light Can Help You, Stacey Dinwiddy of HLB Lighting and Florian Panlilio of Functional Lighting Orgins—highlighting their expertise and commitment. Additionally, he acknowledged Ben Cantu for his 25 years of dedicated service to the program. “These awards wouldn’t be possible without such a passionate and knowledgeable team,” Roush said.
Looking Ahead
In conclusion, Roush reflected on the event’s significance: “What we see today isn’t just product development; it’s a glimpse into the future of lighting. This is what makes LightFair such a vital platform for our industry.”
Go Deeper: Messe CEO Looks to LightFair’s Future with Optimism