• Inauguration of new headquarters and extended Technical Centre in Yongin, Gyeonggi
• Investment of 21.7 billion Won (18 million euros) for new headquarters part of investment campaign totaling more than 370 billion Won (300 million euros) since 2000
• Bosch 2007 sales in Korea to grow by eight per cent to 1.8 trillion Won (1.4 billion euros)

The Bosch Group has announced the completion of its new headquarters and expansion of its Technical Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi, Korea.

Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the board of management of the Bosch Group, who attended the inauguration ceremony, said, “This new home for Bosch in Korea is a clear symbol of the successful development of our activities in this country.

Originally planned as a five storey building, the facility was expanded to 10 storeys, providing more than 25,000 square metres, with space for up to 500 employees. "This improved capacity reflects our combined strengths in sales, application and services, while providing room for further growth,", said Krister Mellvé, President of Robert Bosch Korea Mechanics and Electronics Ltd.

With state of the art automotive testing and application facilities, the Yongin Technical Centre will be at the centre of the Group’s application engineering for gasoline and diesel fuel injection systems , chassis systems, electronics and control units for vehicles, and will involve more than 100 engineers with the objective of bringing advanced technologies to the Korean automotive industry. These technologies will bring road safety improvements and enhance vehicle performance and driving experience. It will also act as a sales centre for Bosch products in the Korean automotive aftermarket sector.

The investment of 21.7 billion Won (18 million euros) in the new Yongin headquarters and Technical Centre is part of the Bosch Group's commitment to the Korean market and its customers. In addition to this, the Bosch Group has invested more than 370 billion Won (some 300 million euros) in Korea since 2000, including state of the art manufacturing facilities and technical equipment.

The new headquarters will serve as the central office for Bosch in Korea with eight further locations, including five major manufacturing locations in Daejeon, Gunpo, Anseong, Buyong and Busan. It will host all Bosch product groups marketed to the Korean automotive marke,t including diesel and gasoline systems, chassis systems (with ABS and ESP, manufactured under licence in Korea), motors, thermo and wiper systems as well as automotive electronic parts.

Korea remains an important country within the Bosch Group's Asia-Pacific strategy, with Bosch products being sold in the Korean market for close to 90 years. Today, the company employs more than 3,000 people, with 10 per cent involved in research and development. It is estimated that in 2007, Bosch in Korea will achieve sales of 1.8 trillion Won (1.4 billion euros), representing an eight per cent growth compared to 2006. Within the Asia-Pacific region, Bosch expects a sales increase of 8.5 per cent to 7.4 billion euros (9.4 trillion Won) for 2007. The Bosch Group will achieve sales of 46 billion euros (some 59 trillion Won) in 2007 – a growth of five per cent compared to 2006.

Krister Mellvé added, "The Bosch Group's commitment to the Korean market and its customers stems from the confidence that, through our innovative technologies, we can play a central role in shaping the future in many key technology areas. We will support our customers in Korea to further improve their global position and competitiveness."

Bosch media enquiries:
Chris Wakley / David Eden
Automotive PR
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7494 8050
Email: cwakley@automotivepr.com / deden@automotivepr.com
 
Bosch OE enquiries:
Jenny Hodge
Communications Manager
Robert Bosch Limited
Tel: +44 (0) 1895 838545
Email: jenny.hodge@uk.bosch.com

About Bosch
The Bosch Group is the world’s largest provider of automotive technology to all leading vehicle and component manufacturers. 

In 2006, the company generated automotive sales of €27.2 billion and employs approximately 161,000 people in this sector.  The key business areas include: fuel injection technology (diesel & petrol); systems for active and passive vehicle safety (brakes, ABS, traction control, ESP, control units for restraint systems); electrical motors, rotating electrics and products for car multimedia.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com and www.bosch.co.uk