Bosch is now developing connected solutions in the Swedish city of Lund. The company is working on new software and hardware in areas such as vehicle connectivity, automotive security systems and motorized two-wheelers. The engineering location is the first in Scandinavia and already has 50 Bosch experts on board.
In addition, they are developing cross-domain solutions for connecting mobility with, for example, energy and building technology over the Internet of Things (IoT). By bringing together development activities for a number of different areas at a single location, Bosch hopes to facilitate mutual inspiration.
“We are systematically driving forward the development of connected cross-domain solutions over the IoT with the aim of making life more secure and convenient,” said Dr. Dirk Hoheisel, a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH. “To this end, we’re focusing on cross-divisional collaboration that enables synergies and creates the basis for new ideas and creative solutions.”
Located 20 kilometers from Malmö, the company says Lund was not chosen by chance. “Sweden is on the global vanguard when it comes to fields of research, including information and communications technology. This is exactly the kind of environment we want for our new engineering center,” said Hoheisel. “We’re pinning our hopes on Lund’s talented software and IT experts.”
Sweden’s status as a highly innovative economic power mirrors Bosch’s own traditionally strong position in research and development, according to the company. The country regularly appears near the top of international innovation rankings. On the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index 2015, for example, it occupies third place.
Concentration of innovative strength and entrepreneurial spirit
Bosch’s new engineering center is located on one level of an office building in Lund’s Ideon Science Park. The approximately 2,700 people employed in the science park include developers working for established companies and start-ups, as well as entrepreneurs. The University of Lund borders the park directly. Incubators and regular conferences foster and create synergies both among different areas of business and with the university. The focus is on the service sector, culture and the creative industries, as well as start-ups and the IoT.
Along with expertise in the areas of sensors, software and services, the company has outstanding hardware competence. In addition, Bosch can connect different domains with each other, such as smart homes, smart cities, connected mobility and Industry 4.0. With its own recently-launched IoT cloud, Bosch also now possesses the necessary infrastructure. This offers the company new perspectives not only in its traditional areas of business, but also in completely new fields of activity.
