BROADVIEW, Ill. – Bosch says its commitment to enhancing the motorist’s driving experience through innovation is evident in many of the features seen on modern cars today — the antilock braking system, electronic fuel injection, the electric wiper system and the more recent ESP (ESC) electronic stability control – to name a few. In recognition of this dedication to innovation, Bosch recently received the Best Innovator Award for 2010/2011 in the automotive supplier category.

Presented annually by A.T. Kearney and WirtschaftsWoche, a German weekly business magazine, the "Best Innovator" awards are held under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology. On behalf of the Bosch Group, the award was received by Dr. Dirk Linzmeier, director of innovation management, Automotive Electronics Division; Klaus Meder, executive vice president Automotive Electronics; and Dr. Martin Hieber, director of innovation management for the Bosch Group.

Awards were given to companies and management teams that follow effective and long-lasting processes and strategies for innovation development. Bosch’s strong commitment to innovation was seen as a core competency in its corporate culture where a group-level innovation management system has been implemented across all divisions.

In Bosch’s view, inventions and ideas alone don’t make an innovation. They first need to be put into practice in industry and achieve successful sales. Then they can be classified as truly innovative. That is why Bosch says it believes every new solution – whether in the shape of a product, function, service, process or business model – must always create added value for the customer.

Today, in the automotive technology sector, Bosch invests approximately 11 percent of sales directly into research and development, which results in 15 new patents filed every day, according to Bosch.