FORVIA HELLA, a global leader in automotive lighting and electronics, has been awarded the prestigious CLEPA Innovation Award for its breakthrough FlatLight | µMX technology. The recognition was announced at an exclusive ceremony held in Brussels, Belgium, celebrating exceptional advancements in the automotive supplier ecosystem.
The CLEPA Innovation Award, presented annually by the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), honours cutting-edge innovations that significantly enhance the future of mobility.
FlatLight | µMX — Redefining Automotive Lighting
FORVIA HELLA’s FlatLight | µMX introduces a revolutionary LED light guide system powered by ultra-fine micro-optics — smaller than a grain of salt. This game-changing innovation reduces the installation depth by up to 90% to just 5 mm, giving automotive designers massive freedom to create next-generation slim and seamless lighting signatures.
Key Advantages of FlatLight Technology
- Ultra-slim: 5 mm module thickness
- Flexible design: Enables multiple lighting functions—DRL, indicators, rear, stop & position light—in one optical module
- Superior efficiency: 40–80% lower energy consumption compared to conventional systems
- Lightweight: Up to 80% weight reduction without compromising brightness or homogeneity
This breakthrough unlocks fresh styling possibilities for both front and rear automotive lighting, supporting efficiency-driven vehicle architectures and futuristic exterior design trends.
Dr. Michael Kleinkes, who is responsible for global lighting development at FORVIA HELLA, said: “With the CLEPA Innovation Award, we have received one of the world’s most important and renowned honors in the automotive industry. For the innovative strength of our teams, this is once again a great recognition, of which we are very proud. Our goal is to bring technologies into series production that set new standards in the automotive sector and are equally attractive and economically viable for both the premium and volume segments. The fact that we have achieved this with our FlatLight technology is underscored not only by this year’s CLEPA Award – but also by the various customer projects we have already been able to win for our FlatLight.”
FlatLight technology first went into series production last year as a rear lamp application, followed by its use as a daytime running light in the vehicle front in the autumn of this year. In total, FlatLight from FORVIA HELLA is already part of customer projects with a total volume in the mid three-digit million euro range. The FlatLight technology is produced at the Slovakian lighting plants in Kočovce and Bánovce. The development of the FlatLight modules takes place at the Company headquarters in Lippstadt (Germany), while customer-specific applications are developed at the sites in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Mohelnice, and Ostrava (Czech Republic).
