BMW honors Bosch

Robert Bosch GmbH was awarded the special prize for innovation partnership. With this prize, BMW honored the outstanding cooperation that the two companies have engaged in for several decades. Bosch has set numerous innovation milestones in a broad range of automotive projects. This has made the supplier one of BMW's most important and most innovative partners. In addition to receiving this prize, Bosch was nominated in the categories “Connected Drive” and “Sustainablity”.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Herbert Diess, the member of the BMW AG board of management responsible for development, emphasized the importance of new technologies. “Innovation is a decisive factor in a vehicle’s market success. Many customers ultimately opt for the car with the most impressive innovations. In fact, innovations are a key driver in our role as a pioneer in shaping the mobility of tomorrow.”

Robert Bosch GmbH will continue to drive these developments. In addition to continuously improving the internal-combustion engine, the supplier is also working flat-out to develop alternative powertrain technologies for electric cars, efficient auxiliary systems, and a hydraulic hybrid, to name only a few examples. Bosch engineers are focusing their attention on a number of areas, among them automated driving, sophisticated multimedia solutions, and user-friendly interfaces. Today’s drivers already benefit from more than half a dozen assistance systems, for instance. While these systems were once reserved for the premium class, they are now becoming standard features in compact vehicles as well.

Automotive Technology is the largest Bosch Group business sector. According to preliminary figures, its sales came to 30.9 billion euros, or 59 percent of total group sales, in fiscal 2012. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. Worldwide, some 171,000 Automotive Technology associates work in seven areas of business: injection technology for internal-combustion engines, powertrain peripherals, alternative drive concepts, active and passive safety systems, assistance and comfort functions, in-car information and communication, as well as services and technology for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch has been responsible for important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP® anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services, active in the fields of automotive technology, energy and building technology, industrial technology, and consumer goods. According to preliminary figures, more than 306,000 associates generated sales of 52.3 billion euros in 2012. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent some 4.5 billion euros for research and development in 2012, and applied for over 4,700 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.”