Stapp brings more than a dozen years of executive experience in LED lighting technologies to Aledia, most recently in senior management positions at OSRAM, a global leader in SSL manufacturing and marketing.
As general manager and senior vice president of OSRAM AG's SSL unit, Stapp was responsible for the company's professional LED and OLED business. Earlier, as SSL vice president and general manager at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, he launched and managed the general-lighting LED business and oversaw launch of the world's first OLED lighting products. Prior to that, Stapp was vice president and CTO of the semiconductor company, where he oversaw global LED, laser and OLED R&D. Earlier in his career, he held a variety of management positions in Siemens AG's Corporate Technology division.
"Aledia's mission is to bring fundamental change to the world's lighting markets by making LED technology substantially more affordable and more versatile, with better performance and fewer limitations," said Giorgio Anania, Aledia's co-founder, president and CEO. "Bernhard has been a key player at the heart of the global LED industry since its inception, and also has an outstanding technical background. His unique perspective on this industry's future will be invaluable as Aledia moves into the next stage of its evolution."
WireLED®, Aledia's unique 3D microwire GaN-on-silicon technology, was developed at the CEA-Leti nanotech research institute in Grenoble. It addresses the basic technical and economic challenges facing LED lighting by allowing production of LEDs on inexpensive industry-standard 200mm silicon wafers using standard semiconductor processes and tools.
"Aledia's technology is, quite simply, a breakthrough for the entire LED sector," said Stapp. "It can meet the industry's critical requirement for cost-reduction, while using far simpler production processes and much less material than conventional approaches. I am very excited about the opportunity to join this team."
