STUTTGART, Germany – According to preliminary figures,
the Bosch Group increased its sales by 2.7 percent in 2013, to 46.4 billion
euros, despite the difficult economic environment (adjusted
previous-year figure: 45.2 billion euros).
Progress in
earnings
“The many
measures taken to improve profitability are clearly working. In fact, we have
made better progress with results than expected,” said Dr. Volkmar Denner,
chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. In 2014, Bosch will
continue to work without let-up on improving its competitiveness and fitness
for the future.
With regard
to the targets for sales growth and margin, Denner said, “We have already made progress.
We will continue to focus on profitability, growth and agility.”
Seizing growth opportunities –
opening up new market segments
The company says
it wants to unlock existing potential for growth and open up new market
segments. Apart from energy efficiency and connectivity, there is the
high-spending aging population in industrialized countries and the rapidly
growing middle class in the emerging markets of Asia and South America. Bosch says
it also is working intensively on the mobility of the future, which will be electric,
automated and connected, the company says. In 2013, Bosch launched many products
and services related to these trends, including highly efficient gasoline and
diesel injection systems, driver assistance systems such as motorcycle
stability control, mySPIN smartphone integration solution, telematics services
for the management of vehicle fleets and robotics applications such as the
“Indego” lawnmower.
Shaping and participating – Bosch in
the connected world
Bosch says
it especially wants to open up new market segments with solutions for connected
living. “The breadth of our technological expertise and our presence in diverse
sectors of the economy are crucial advantages in a connected world. We want to
play an active role in shaping that world, and at the same time take advantage
of the business opportunities it offers. Bosch’s strategic objective is to
create solutions for a connected world,” Denner said. For many, connectivity is
already a reality. By 2015, some 75 percent of global population will be online,
along with more than 6 billion devices. In Bosch’s view, however, this only
scratches the surface of the potential opportunities. In the future, the
company will make all its electronic appliances Web-enabled. “Connectivity will
open up new possibilities for all our areas of work. This goes for mobility,
for industrial technology, and especially for energy and building technology –
also in connection with our consumer goods,” Denner said.
While sales
developments in the company’s various business sectors, including Automotive Technology,
were all affected by significant exchange-rate effects, Bosch says the
Automotive Technology business sector developed positively in 2013. Its
business with gasoline direct injection and diesel injection systems grew
significantly. And, Bosch adds that the Car Multimedia division was very
successful with display instruments and infotainment systems.
