Looking at Lighting Development Trends from the Frankfurt Light + Building Exhibition

The Frankfurt Light + Building exhibition has long been recognized as one of the most important bellwethers for the global lighting industry. Each edition of Light+Building is a major event in the lighting world. Lighting professionals from both domestic and international markets gather by the banks of the Main River in Germany, hoping in this era of dazzling complexity to sense the first signs of change.

 

The 2026 Frankfurt Light + Building exhibition has now concluded. So, what early signs have we detected? Let's get straight to the point.

 

  

A. Looking at Trends Through the Evolution of Exhibition Themes
Reviewing the themes of Light+Building over the past six years, it's not difficult to find that

 

The lighting industry is transforming from a simple "industrial product" sector into a part of the human environment industry. In the past, we only discussed the luminaires themselves, but now we are increasingly thinking about the relationship between luminaires, humans, and the environment.

 

Artificial light is essentially a product of humanity's fight against natural rhythms, a process of creating something from nothing. Now, the goal is to make artificial light return to nature as much as possible, a process of going from something to nothing.

 

This so-called "nothing" means existence without being perceived – for example, the comfort of light, the control of light, the integration of product forms with architectural spaces, and so on.

 

Whoever can better understand and explain the relationship between light, people, and the environment will be more competitive in the future lighting industry.

 

B. Looking at Trends Through Exhibitors and Exhibited Products

 

a. The model and structure of lighting exhibitions are likely to change significantly in the future.

 

The absence of several major European lighting brands from the 2026 Frankfurt exhibition was undoubtedly a blow to this year's event. The major brands haven't provided official explanations, but seeing the essence through the phenomena, it's unexpected yet reasonable. In recent years, the economic downturn, turbulent international environment, continuous industry evolution, and rising exhibition costs have led brands to adjust their participation strategies. They are increasingly prioritizing smaller-scale, more targeted, and more experiential events that better align with their brand identity and are more customer-centric, allowing for more personalized and effective interaction and dialogue. In the short term, this has a negative impact; the absence of major brands inevitably leads to a loss of visitors. However, in the long run, I believe it might not be a bad thing. The growing resentment among Chinese exhibitors over unfair treatment, coupled with the "defection" of major European local brands, might prompt the exhibition organizers to rethink and establish a more reasonable and dynamic exhibition model.

 

 

b. EPD, Full Lifecycle Low Carbon, and Sustainability Have Become Thresholds for High-End Lighting Product Lines.

 

Looking at the products on display and the construction of exhibitors' booths, we can observe a common phenomenon: an increasing sense of "roughness" or "raw" aesthetics. The use of recyclable materials, environmentally friendly materials, and the reduction of materials and processes that impact the environment – this isn't because they are trying to save money or be frugal. Rather, it's a comprehensive embodiment of the concepts and requirements of sustainability, low carbon, and EPD. This pertains to materials and processes.

In terms of performance, the most prominent aspect is high luminous efficacy. The higher the efficacy, the lower the energy consumption, and the better the EPD data. Therefore, we see that the luminous efficacy of products this year is exceptionally good. For example, TRILUX's YONOS series linear lights have achieved an efficacy of 174LM/W at UGR19 level.

 

This means that in the future, to remain competitive in the high-end market, one must understand and be clear about EPD standards and requirements. When designing products, full lifecycle low carbon must be considered. When setting parameters, product performance must include high luminous efficacy, glare control, and long lifespan. This is a significant challenge, but those who can overcome this threshold will find a blue ocean within the red sea.

 

 

c. Acoustic Cotton Products Will Become More Specialized and Popular.

 

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the lighting industry is transforming from a simple "industrial product" sector into a part of the human environment industry. The human environment includes not only light but also sound. Take XAL as an example. XAL proposed the concept of acoustic lighting as early as 2014, integrating acoustic panels into their product line. In 2018, XAL clearly focused on the acoustic concept and continuously released multiple acoustic lighting series products from 2018 to 2024. They also collaborated with acoustic laboratories to conduct acoustic testing and research in spaces, study the arrangement and use of luminaires, present noise reduction effects quantitatively, and ultimately deliver luminaires, acoustic panels, and noise reduction reports. This is understanding and explaining the relationship between light, people, and the environment.

 

There were indeed fewer acoustic cotton products exhibited at the 2026 Frankfurt Fair compared to the previous edition. However, this does not mean that the popularity of acoustic cotton products has faded. The acoustic cotton products that disappeared were mostly followers, focusing only on the decorative aspect of acoustic cotton luminaires, rather than their acoustic functionality. For the acoustic functionality to be effective, it requires professional teams performing rigorous calculations, similar to the XAL example mentioned earlier. The disappearance of many acoustic cotton luminaires will allow this category to return to rationality and its essence. Looking at the future trend of the relationship between light, people, and the environment, acoustic cotton luminaires have very promising development prospects. Lighting products with acoustic functionality will become increasingly popular. Whether discussing the use of 100% polyester fiber materials, the function of environmental noise reduction, or the aesthetic texture brought by this material, it aligns with the trends and currents of lighting development.

 

 

d. Design Capability Surpassing Manufacturing Capability.

 

Looking at the products at the exhibition, we can feel that whether industrial products or outdoor products, they are all becoming more beautiful and refined. Much thought has been put into the application of different materials, the control of product proportions, the design of structure and form, and the display of products. But if you look closely, you might notice that the details and workmanship are not necessarily extremely strong. Yet, the overall presentation is visually striking. This highlights one of the gaps between us and some foreign counterparts: we are strong in manufacturing but weaker in design. However, the core value of this industry is currently shifting from production and manufacturing towards creative design and light environment creation. In the future, many valuable large clients, when choosing a factory, will no longer just look at production capabilities. Instead, they will increasingly look for partners who can understand their brand language, teams capable of participating in design discussions, and suppliers who can provide holistic solutions. Whether you aim to build a brand or focus on ODM/OEM, the ability to discuss "poetry and the distant future" is becoming a core competency.

 

 

 

e. Smart Applications, System Integration, Flexible Modules, Optical Technology.

 

These points won't be elaborated on in detail. These trends are perceptible at any exhibition and are also the trump cards for major lighting brands.

 

  

Finally, quoting Mr. Lin Jiliang: Global lighting products are forming a four-pole structure. The first pole is the system platform, the second is optoelectronic technology, the third is spatial experience, and the fourth is the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem.

 

The so-called blue ocean in lighting lies at the intersections of these four poles. From a macro perspective, the more poles an intersection includes, the more competitive an entity will be in the future. From a micro perspective, what we can do is stay curious, keep our heads down to watch the path and walk steadily, while not forgetting to look up at the stars – to see where these increasingly bright and intelligent lights will lead us.