[Association News] China Lighting Association Visits Ningbo to Survey Industry Leaders and Explore the Growth Code of Niche Market Champions

On April 18, 2026, Liu Shengping, Executive Vice Chairperson of the China Lighting Association, and Deng Maolin, Deputy Secretary-General, led a delegation to Ningbo for an industry survey. Accompanied throughout by Zhu Guozhen, President of the Ningbo Lighting Electrical Appliance Industry Association, and Wang Mingkai, Secretary-General, the team visited two outstanding representatives in outdoor and industrial lighting—Yaotai Optoelectronics and Langge Lighting—to explore how leading enterprises in niche markets are driving industry development through “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” strategies and enhancing the global reputation of “Ningbo Manufacturing.”

The delegation’s first stop was Yuyao, where they visited Ningbo Yaotai Optoelectronics, a national leader in outdoor garden lighting. As a high-tech enterprise listed on the NEEQ, Yaotai has long focused on outdoor lighting, holds over 700 patents, and ranks among China’s top exporters of garden lights. It serves as a core supplier to international retail giants such as Costco and Lowe’s.

In the company showroom, Vice Chairperson Liu inquired in detail from Chairman Fang Yi about the layout and market recognition of the “LUTEC” proprietary brand in high-end markets in Europe and North America. Upon learning that overseas sales consistently account for more than 60% of total revenue and that the company is actively preparing for further capital market development, he remarked, “Yaotai has not only perfected its products but also successfully transitioned from ‘manufacturing export’ to ‘brand export,’ setting a benchmark for high-quality internationalization in China’s lighting industry.”

In Cixi, the delegation conducted an on-site inspection of Langge Lighting’s digital smart manufacturing facility. As the domestic leader in tri-proof LED lighting (dustproof, waterproof, and corrosion-resistant), Langge has invested in building an intelligent “lights-out factory” where fully automated production lines and AGV logistics systems operate in seamless coordination, producing over ten million high-quality tri-proof LED lamps annually with annual sales exceeding RMB 500 million.

President Zhu Guozhen explained to the delegation: “If elegant garden lights represent the aesthetic dimension of lighting, then Langge’s tri-proof lights embody the industrial backbone of the lighting sector. Operating in demanding industrial, commercial, and public environments, they ensure safety and reliability with exceptional durability—forming an ‘invisible’ yet critically important foundation.” Deputy Secretary-General Deng Maolin noted that Langge’s pursuit of excellence in its niche segment, coupled with significant investments in digitalization and automation, vividly embodies the “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” ethos and strengthens the foundation of China’s industrial lighting supply chain.

In the concluding remarks, Vice Chairperson Liu stated: “Yaotai Optoelectronics leads in consumer-grade outdoor aesthetic lighting, while Langge Lighting dominates professional-grade industrial functional lighting—creating a complementary, dual-engine growth model. Together, they demonstrate that Ningbo’s lighting industry not only leads in market scale but also possesses formidable technological depth and market control in specialized segments.”

She further emphasized that Ningbo’s ability to cultivate multiple national and global “niche champions” stems from its robust industrial cluster ecosystem:

“This field visit revealed the solid internal momentum and immense upgrade potential of China’s lighting industry,” concluded Vice Chairperson Liu. She expressed hope that exemplary Ningbo enterprises like Yaotai and Langge will continue to serve as benchmarks and contribute greater strength toward China’s transformation from a lighting powerhouse to a global lighting leader under the industry trends of green, low-carbon development and intelligent integration.