Bosch invested $235 million in North America and recorded consolidated sales of $11.3 billion in 2014. The company says it plans to double its sales from 2013 to 2020 and continue to grow its profitability. Investment in the region is one step in achieving these goals.
“The strength of our business in North America is a key component of Bosch’s global development,” said Mike Mansuetti, president, Robert Bosch LLC. “We are continuously looking for opportunities to expand our presence and value to the region and our customers.”
Multifaceted approach to investment
An example of the company’s commitment to investment in the region is its footprint in Pittsburgh, focused on research, high-technology business and partnerships. The company’s presence includes its Research and Technology Center (RTC), the Carnegie Bosch Institute (CBI) and Akustica Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bosch Group and a top supplier of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone products.
Bosch’s first tie to Pittsburgh was a major endowment gift to Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), establishing CBI as part of the Tepper School of Business in 1990. CBI focuses on improving international management and its impact on leadership through research, education and collaboration. Nine years later, Bosch funded its first research project at the school within the electrical and computer engineering department within the College of Engineering.
In 2001, Akustica was founded in Pittsburgh to commercialize acoustic MEMS technology, licensed from CMU. Through its strategic acquisition of Akustica in 2009, Bosch added microphones to its portfolio of MEMS sensors that support the human-machine-interface (HMI) in consumer electronic devices. Bosch is the world’s leading supplier of MEMS sensors.
In addition, Bosch’s RTC in Pittsburgh is at the forefront of research and development that is shaping the Internet of Things (IoT). Its research focuses on the design, deployment and integration of innovative Internet technologies in application areas of relevance throughout the Bosch Group, including the automotive, smart building, consumer goods and advanced manufacturing domains.
“Pittsburgh is a great example of how strategic and sustaining investments can positively impact a business,” said Mansuetti. “There’s a strong and natural correlation between our research, high-tech products and partnerships in this area that benefit our business, regionally and globally, and most importantly, our customers.”
Worldwide in 2014, Bosch invested $6.6 billion in R&D and applied for nearly 4,600 patents. Bosch operates three locations in the U.S. dedicated to corporate research, located in Palo Alto, California; Pittsburgh; and Cambridge, Massachusetts.