LED Illuminates New Agriculture: Leading Companies Such As Murison and Infineon Osram Are Entering the Vertical Market Segment

01
Vertical agriculture "breaks through" and LED becomes the invisible protagonist

When scientists are flocking to study "growing lettuce in vertical farms", LED lighting technology has quietly become the invisible engine of this green revolution. In enclosed spaces, beams of light replace sunlight, allowing crops to thrive in buildings, warehouses, and even containers. Companies such as Woodforest, Ams Olsson, Songsheng Co., Philips, and Zhongke San'an are turning the light particles and chips from their laboratories into "growth energy" that can be delivered in large quantities.

02
Market Potential: Doubling every four years, with a compound annual growth rate of 19%

Market research institutions predict that the global LED plant lighting market size will reach 15.9 billion yuan by 2025, which is twice that of 2021, with a compound annual growth rate of 19%. From the demand side, for almost all scenarios where "space is limited and time is limited", such as for grass, rice seedling cultivation, high-value medicinal plants, and ornamental flowers, they are all queuing up to wait for more efficient light formulations. 

03
Mulin Sen: Batch delivery of biological cabins, smart seedling cultivation runs smoothly in demonstration

3.1 ◆ Two product lines, covering "grass" and "grain"

Biological cabins: Focus on grasses such as wheat grass and alfalfa grass. They have been implemented in Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Shanxi, and Jilin, and have formed stable cooperation with large dairy and grass feed enterprises. 

Smart Seedling Cultivation Factory: Specializing in rice seedlings and various vegetable seedlings. Projects have been established in multiple locations including Chongqing, Henan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. Some of these have been featured as model projects for rural revitalization by the media on multiple occasions. 

3.2 ◆ Establish a research and development triangle layout to support the continuous iteration of the "light formula"

The Zhongshan experimental center in Guangdong, the global development execution center in Shenzhen, and the research and development center in Munich, Germany "all launched simultaneously", drawing a clear roadmap for smart lighting, healthy lighting, and plant lighting. The order volume in the first quarter confirmed market confidence: The demand for seedling cultivation factories was strong, and the projects were delivered in batches and received customer recognition. 

04
Aimtech Osram: Further upgrade of ultra-red LED, setting new record for photosynthetic efficiency

4.1 ◆ Key features of the new product: 78.8% electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency
 

The OSLON® Square ultra-red LED has undergone an upgrade. At a driving current of 700 mA, the photon flux (PPF) is 5.96 μmol/s, and the photosynthetic photon efficiency (PPE) is 4.32 μmol/J; in the 350 mA scenario, the PPF and PPE reach 3.02 μmol/s and 4.62 μmol/J respectively. The peak wavelength is 660 nm, the main wavelength is 640 nm, the bandwidth is 25 nm, achieving a balance between speed and cost. 
 

4.2 ◆ Ceramic packaging + wide spectrum, stable output even in high humidity environment
The new product adopts ceramic packaging and silicone lens. At a node temperature of 25 ℃, the electro-optical conversion efficiency is 78.8%, an increase of 2 percentage points compared to the previous generation; the Q90 has a lifespan of up to 102,000 hours and can withstand 8 kV electrostatic discharge, specially designed for the high humidity and harsh environment of indoor agriculture. 
 

05
Songsheng Co., Ltd.: High-value Medicinal Herbs Light up the "Lighting Medicine" Field

The company's specially designed driving power supplies for plant lighting have high conversion efficiency, precise temperature control, and fine dimming capabilities. They have been successfully applied to indoor cultivation of high-value medicinal herbs such as ginseng, reishi mushroom, and golden thread orchid. Against the backdrop of rising demand for "food and medicine being the same source", a stable and controllable growth environment has become a new standard for the medicinal herb sector. 

06
Sinnovar: Green and low-carbon in China is the greatest opportunity

The president of the Northeast Asia region stated in Beijing that LED lighting can save 50% of energy compared to traditional lighting, and when combined with smart technology and the Internet of Things, the energy consumption can be reduced by another 80% to 90%. The same is true in agricultural scenarios: Plant lighting enables crops to break free from the constraints of seasons and regions, reduces the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and achieves high-quality increased production under the "carbon neutrality" goals.

07
Chongqing San'an: From "Selling Equipment" to "Selling Taste", Customized Fruit and Vegetable Experience
 

7.1 ◆ Free of pesticide residues and heavy metals, with a significantly shortened growth cycle
 

Driven by the dual forces of photovoltaic power and environmental control, "plant factories" produce spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, and even dendrobium and golden thread orchid; the growth period of golden thread orchid has been shortened from two years to six months; lettuce can be "customized" according to sweetness or bitterness, respectively targeting the domestic and European markets. 
 

7.2 ◆ The equipment has covered 29 provinces and 33 countries.
 

The price of 150g small packs of lettuce ranges from 9.9 to 12.8 yuan per portion, and it is still "difficult to obtain one serving". The company plans to drive its business with two strategies: on one hand, it will deepen its cultivation techniques and continuously improve the quality; on the other hand, it will build the world's first unmanned plant factory, using intelligent equipment to reduce energy consumption by another 10%. 

08
Conclusion: The next stop of light is the vertical fields.

From pasture to medicinal herbs, from seedling cultivation to customized lettuce production, LED plant lighting is turning "lighting" into "productivity". Menglinshan's mass production, Ams Olsson's efficiency breakthrough, Songsheng Co.'s breakthrough in medicinal use, Sianox's scene implementation, and Zhongke San'an's taste customization... Multiple technical routes are advancing simultaneously, and the spring of vertical agriculture has arrived. The next beam of light shining on the dining table might come from the office building or warehouse ceiling beneath your feet.