The UK’s Lighting Industry received a huge boost this week as the Lighting Industry Association received a share of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to further develop its laboratory services (LIA Laboratories) and new Lighting Training Academy. The funds will help the Lighting Industry Association create a new Lighting Testing Laboratory to cope with increased demand, which will house a unique R&D centre that will be available for UK manufacturers to use and develop new lighting products. Alongside the new laboratory, the Lighting Industry Association will also build a Lighting Academy that will provide education, learning and awareness services for the whole lighting supply chain. Being sited at the Lighting Industry Association’s HQ in Telford, means that the courses will have a distinctly ‘hand-on’ feel and will help drive the introduction of new lighting technology and low energy initiatives. “These new facilities will be a fantastic asset for the industry,” said Steve Davies, CEO. “It will shorten lead times for the introduction of new products especially for the UK SME market as well as raising awareness of the potential of such products – consequently jobs will be secured and created both within the Lighting Industry Association itself but also across the Lighting Industry as a whole”. The Lighting Academy will be a unique proposition for the industry. Whilst the Lighting Industry Association will continue to deliver and develop its well-respected technical content for the lighting industry, the scope will increase to include the retail and wholesale aspects of the market. It is envisaged that specifiers and designers will also benefit as courses are developed over the next 12 months. Already the UK’s largest independent lighting test laboratory, the new facility will house new ‘state-of-the-art’ testing equipment that ordinarily would be out of reach of many of the Lighting SME’s. The LIA Laboratories is already accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to ISO/IEC 17065, “General requirements for the competence for product certification”, the main ISO standard used for certifying a products safety and performance and has plans to extend its capability for European and world-wide accreditation services. The award is subject to the clearance of satisfactory due diligence About the Lighting Industry Association The Lighting Industry Association is Europe’s largest Lighting Trade Association with a simple mission: To strengthen the industry and promote the benefits of good quality lighting by representing all aspects of UK, EU and international legislation and standards at the highest level whilst protecting the interests of both the public and Members. The Lighting Industry Association was formed in January 2012 from the merging of the Lighting Industry Federation and the Lighting Association and with it 175 years of combined experience in representing the lighting industry in the UK and internationally. The Lighting Industry Association also owns and operates Lumicom, a WEEE Compliance Scheme. Lumicom is a not for profit producer compliance scheme, to help producers, selling into the non-household market, meet their obligations under the WEEE Regulations. About the Regional Growth Fund The Government’s Regional Growth Fund has invested nearly £3 billion to help businesses in England to grow; so far generating over 100,000 jobs. 56 new awards in Round 6 and seven through exceptional RGF support – announced on 12 February 2015, gives £297 million to 63 projects and programmes to create and safeguard thousands more jobs and unlock an additional £1.5 billion private sector investment.Contact:
E-mail:
Web site:
Contact:
Jo Jackson - The Lighting Industry Association
+44-01952-290905
E-mail:
Web site:
Locate more third-party testing services vendors in the LEDs Magazine Suppliers Directory
Submit new products, case studies/projects, and other press releases at http://www.ledsmagazine.com/content/leds/en/addcontent.html and http://www.ledsmagazine.com/content/leds/en/iif/add.html.
