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Bosch in the United Kingdom

Bosch UK celebrates landmark 125th anniversary

Company invested over £300m in UK&I over two years

Bosch UK celebrates landmark 125th anniversary
  • UK was the first country in which Robert Bosch began his company’s global expansion in 1898
  • Now, Bosch UK & Ireland is the fourth largest global market for Bosch
  • and the second largest in Europe
  • Over the past 125 years, Bosch has invented life-changing tech from washing machines and anti-lock braking systems, to swivel-armed industrial robots
  • Its commitment to the UK&I remains stronger than ever, with significant investments and a focus on hydrogen, quantum sensors in medicine and connected tech for the automotive industry

Denham, UK – Bosch UK & Ireland (UK&I) is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. As one of the largest investors in research and development in the world, Bosch’s commitment to the UK&I is clear, with the company investing more than £300 million since 2021.

The UK arm of the Bosch Group was established in 1898 in London and now employs around 5,500 people throughout the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

‘Inventing for life’: Celebrating 125 years of innovation in UK&I
“Inventing for life” has been the ethos at the core of the Bosch business from the start. For 125 years, Bosch UK&I has grown across 36 locations to build a company that aims to harness the power of technology and shape society through its inventions.

Bosch is renowned for producing high-quality consumer products from home appliances, power tools and garden tools, to innovations in hydrogen, hybrid and gas boilers and heat pumps. The company retains its position at the leading edge of the most advanced high-tech automotive solutions that cover powertrains and automated driving, as well as personalised and connected mobility.

Robert Bosch played a central role in establishing the car industry in the UK thanks to his partnership with Frederik Simms. Together they helped to make the car a usable and affordable machine, and they helped to create the structure necessary for a whole industry to develop – from refueling stations to automobile clubs. Robert Bosch came to the UK with a pioneering spirit – he wanted to push beyond the borders of his home country. He sought new opportunities in the UK and very quickly all around the world.

Robert Bosch was eager to generate value from the countries that he set up his business in. For example, in the UK he quickly built a manufacturing facility in London and that approach enabled him to establish a highly successful business. That focus stayed, and in the past 125 years the company has branched out into a wide variety of industries.

Today, Bosch researches and develops automotive mobility solutions in the UK and Ireland and has established an Automotive Research & Development Centre in Limerick and has acquired some of the most technologically advanced companies in the UK.

These include Five, the autonomous vehicle start-up, and Protec, the industry-leading fire detection and security experts. Bosch has also opened a Centre of Excellence for Embedded Software in York, in which its ETAS subsidiary develops operating systems and software for the automotive industry.

Bosch UK’s most recent full year reporting covered 2021, during which the company recorded sales of £3.0 billion, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to 2020.1

Vonjy Rajakoba, Managing Director of Bosch UK & Ireland, said: “It’s remarkable to look back at Bosch’s long history here in the UK. There are not many companies that have been around for over a century and there are still fewer that have been continuously successful through such a long period of time.

“Bosch has always been a company that looks forwards, and we’re excited about the future and the innovations to come. We ‘invent for life’, developing products that make life easier for our customers, whether they are consumers or businesses, with an important focus on sustainable technology.

“As technology advances at an ever-faster pace, our team of associates across the UK and Ireland are helping to build autonomous cars, prepare for the hydrogen economy, and selling high-quality and sustainable products to millions of consumers. Sustainability is central to the work we do at Bosch, from the design phase, to manufacturing, and distribution. Our associates are committed to developing sustainable technology and we help them to do that by ensuring they have the skills they need to meet the challenges of today.

“Around the world Bosch has always been about working together to bring technology to the people and that’s exactly what we’re doing here, today, across the UK, Ireland and indeed the world.”

Inventing and innovating, past and future
Bosch has a strong track record of inventing worldwide, of which the UK has played a key role, including the invention and innovations of:

  • The magneto in the late 1800s
  • Diesel direct injection in the 1930s
  • Washing machines in the 1950s
  • Combined heating and hot water in the 1960s
  • Anti-lock braking systems in the 1970s
  • Swivel-armed industrial robots in the 1980s
  • Electronic Stability Control from the 1990s and to the present day with developments in motorbikes
  • Ongoing advancements in anti-lock braking systems in eBikes, lithium-ion, robotic lawnmowers, and the Internet of Things

Current and future technology Bosch is working on, that could have a significant impact on everyday life, includes:

  • Quantum sensors will be able to help diagnose neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s
  • Hydrogen fuel cells to power the automotive industry, as well as to power a wide variety of buildings and businesses
  • Tailored advice for farmers around the world using artificial intelligence, including greater understanding of crop rotation and soil use

Ongoing commitment to the UK and Ireland
During the past 125 years, Bosch UK&I has remained a significant part of the Bosch Group’s global business and is the company’s fourth largest market globally, as well as the largest market in Europe, outside of Bosch’s home country of Germany.

As part of the commitments into the UK business, Bosch has acquired a new HQ at Broadwater Park in Denham, near Uxbridge. The new HQ is located next to the company’s existing building and will be a green business campus that showcases Bosch’s technology. Bosch UK associates will move into the new building next year.

Technology for the next 125 years and beyond

Vonjy Rajakoba added, “Our associates are what have made our past and will define our future. They have played a vital role in shaping our company, industry, and the lives of many, as have the products we have invested in across the business.

“Bosch has an exciting future that will be built on advanced technological expertise. Whether it’s hydrogen-powered central heating or hydrogen-powered lorries, or the powerful potential of quantum computing or the limitless possibilities of sensors, we are continuously inventing sophisticated products and shaping the futures of our customers and our business.”

Note to Editors

Contact person for press enquiries
James Bolton
James.Bolton@uk.bosch.com
Twitter: @BoschPress

For more information about Bosch in the UK and Ireland please follow these links:
History:
https://www.bosch.co.uk/our-company/bosch-in-the-uk/our-history/

Locations across the UK:
https://www.bosch.co.uk/our-company/bosch-in-the-uk/#locations

Areas of business:
https://www.bosch.co.uk/products-and-services/

Latest stories and press releases:
https://www.bosch.co.uk/news-and-stories/

A history of Bosch UK & Ireland
Robert Bosch first travelled to London in the early 1890s. The engineer established his company in Germany in 1886 and specialized in building high quality magnetos, which was an ignition system required by the earliest car manufacturers to provide a reliable way of starting cars. His products were so effective that Robert Bosch was quickly able to establish manufacturing locations around the world, and Bosch was one of the first truly global businesses.

He set up the UK arm of his company in 1898. In that year Queen Victoria was monarch, Yorkshire won cricket’s County Championship, former Prime Minister William Gladstone died, and author C.S. Lewis was born. In the early 1900s Bosch built an office and manufacturing facility in central London, a building that still stands on Tottenham Court Road. Robert Bosch passed away in 1942 and later the company moved to Acton in West London. In 1984 Bosch moved its UK headquarters to its present location in Denham, Buckinghamshire. In addition it has around 50 offices and production facilities in 36 locations around the UK and Ireland that collectively employ around 5500 associates.

Today the global company, Robert Bosch GmbH, employs around 420,000 people and is 94% owned by the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, with the Bosch family retaining a 6% shareholding. The Robert Bosch Stiftung is a charitable organisation that conducts and finances social, cultural, and scientific projects.

Doing well as a business and doing the right thing in society have always been cornerstones of Bosch. Robert Bosch introduced the eight-hour working day as early as 1906, and was keen to ensure the wages he paid were competitive. Unusually for the time, he provided health insurance and pensions.

Today, the Robert Bosch Stiftung continues this important work. It’s active in three areas: health, education, and global issues.

About Bosch
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 420,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2022). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 88.4 billion euros in 2022. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 128 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 85,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 44,000 are software engineers.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The remaining shares are held by Robert Bosch GmbH and by a corporation owned by the Bosch family. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust.

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, www.twitter.com/BoschPress.