With a population of more than 600 million, Bosch Group says Southeast Asia offers the company excellent business opportunities. The leading global provider of technology and services is present in all 10 ASEAN member countries and is continuously expanding its activities in the region.

“Southeast Asia is an important region for the Bosch Group,” said Peter Tyroller, the member of the Bosch board of management responsible for Asia Pacific. “To support growth in the region, we are planning to invest around 80 million euros (approximately $89.4 million USD) in Southeast Asia this year.”

In the first half of 2016, Bosch opened new offices in the Philippines and Indonesia with the aim of being closer to its customers. The company also is strengthening its manufacturing capacity in the region and plans to expand its Mobility Solutions plants in Malaysia and Vietnam. In addition, a new plant in Thailand is planned. In the past 10 years, Bosch has invested almost 500 million euros (approximately $558.7 million USD) in the expansion of its manufacturing and development locations in Southeast Asia.

In 2015, Bosch achieved sales growth of 12 percent in Southeast Asia, generating sales of more than 780 million euros (approximately $870 million USD). The company also expects positive development in the current year, despite partially volatile economic development in some of the ASEAN markets. In the first half of the year, business in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam developed well, according to Bosch. There are many factors in the region that create opportunities the company points out: these include its large and young population, the growing purchasing power of the middle class, increasing demand for infrastructure, urbanization and the need to conserve natural resources. The company also sees potential in the area of connectivity and the “Internet of Things” (IoT) in Southeast Asia.

Bosch has been present in Southeast Asia since 1919. Today, the company employs more than 6,800 associates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. In the coming years, the workforce is expected to keep growing. The company has manufactured locally for more than 20 years and currently has seven plants in the region. Southeast Asia also is becoming increasingly important for the Bosch Group’s global R&D network. The company has had development activities in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia for several years.

Since 2010, Bosch has operated its first software development center in Southeast Asia in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Among other things, engineers at the center work on software solutions for the IoT. Bosch says this makes the company an increasingly important software employer in the region. In Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, the company has implemented the German concept of dual education.

Besides expanding its regional presence, Bosch also is strengthening its brand communication in Southeast Asia. The first international corporate campaign has been launched in the growth region, with marketing and PR activities on different channels. The aim is to raise awareness about Bosch in the ASEAN member states – especially in emerging markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

The campaign aims to show that Bosch also offers technologies in many other areas that can improve quality of life, among them, automotive parts such as spark plugs, wipers, batteries, brakes and driver assistance systems that make driving safer and more comfortable. Other examples include hydraulic systems for marine engineering that support the progress of local industry, and power tools that contribute to better quality in the building sector. Packaging technology keeps foods and beverages fresh, even in high temperatures.

The theme of the campaign is “We help make a difference.” In the dynamic growth region, Bosch is working to develop and offer technology that is tailored to the needs of the local market. In some instances, these solutions are available at a lower cost and meet different specifications.

Watch the video on the Bosch campaign “We help make a difference” on Youtube here.