Asia Pacific is a region in transition: growth rates are reaching a sustainable level, in emerging markets such as China, India, and ASEAN member countries, the middle class is growing, and with it the demand for quality products and smart technologies – established markets such as Japan and South Korea have long been global innovation leaders in this segment. The Bosch Group can see a number of ways of actively helping to shape this change: “Especially when it comes to connectivity, we can see huge potential in Asia Pacific. Thanks to its broad footprint, Bosch is ideally positioned to offer cross-domain solutions from a single source,” said Peter Tyroller, the member of the Bosch board of management responsible for the region, ahead of the 14th German Industry Asia Pacific Conference (APK) in Hong Kong from November 3 to 5, 2016. In 2015, Bosch generated sales of €19.2bn in the region, and thus roughly 27 per cent of its global sales.
Asia Pacific therefore remains a significant driver of growth for the supplier of technology and services. This is also reflected in its activities in the region: “For the present year, we plan investments in our Asian locations totaling some €1.2bn.” Bosch is pursuing a policy of localisation in the region, having already invested some €2.5bn – or roughly one-quarter of all Bosch Group investments in that period (€10bn) – in the previous three years. The company, which has had a presence in Asia Pacific for more than 100 years, now operates more than 60 locations in 18 countries in the region.
Apart from connected industry, Asian countries are above all investing in smart-city projects. Bosch offers mobility concepts as well as solutions that can connect power grids, lighting systems, traffic infrastructure, and buildings, helping to improve cities’ economic and energy efficiency. Pilot projects in this area are already running in India and Singapore.