Bosch opens IoT prototype hub in Berlin

Posted on 18 Jan 2018 by Jonny Williamson

Bosch is bringing together its global IoT activities at a new campus in the German capital.


More than 250 Bosch associates are working at the new IoT campus, and over the next few years the number of associates is expected to rise to around 400 – image courtesy of Bosch.

The Bosch CEO Dr Volkmar Denner inaugurated the company’s new IoT campus at the Tempelhofer Hafen in the creative Ullsteinhaus district.

Berlin is, according to Bosch, a hotspot for many important players working on and with connected solutions. They include software and hardware providers, technology partners, and start-ups.

Denner said: “With our new premises, we are building bridges between our own IoT experts and others in Berlin’s creative and digital scenes.

“We believe in openness for the internet of things – open ecosystems and open collaboration and partnership. This idea is also reflected in the campus concept.”

Around 400 experts to work at the campus  

More than 250 Bosch associates are working at the new campus. Over the next few years, the number of associates is expected to rise to around 400. They come from a range of different domains within the company.

The IoT experts will advise and support customers during the development and implementation of projects for connected solutions. These encompass, for instance, solutions for Industry 4.0, connected mobility, smart cities, and smart homes.

The new location is also the headquarters of Bosch Software Innovations GmbH, which was previously located at Berlin’s Schöneberger Ufer. This Bosch subsidiary has been playing an active role in shaping the internet of things for around ten years.

Image courtesy of Bosch.

IoT consultants, software developers, project managers, trainers, and other specialists have now realised more than 250 international IoT projects.

In total, Bosch has invested some €3m euros in the location and its unusual workspaces. The workshops are there to help associates build prototypes quickly and easily, for example.

In contrast, the caravan is all about user experience: together with customers and users, it is a place where prototypes can be tested in the very early phases of a project. All of this is based on the design thinking method of innovation, which is widespread in the software development world.

Michael Hahn, a member of the executive management of Bosch Software Innovations said: “We want to understand customer needs in creative and structured processes, generate a lot of ideas quickly, and test them directly with future users.”

Bosch’s idea of connected manufacturing

Bosch’s strategic aim is to offer solutions for connected mobility and connected manufacturing, as well as for connected energy systems and connected buildings. The company is tapping new, promising markets such as, most recently, smart homes.

At the same time, Bosch is harnessing every opportunity being provided by connectivity in traditional markets as well, such as in the field of connected mobility. The company focuses on the “3S’s” in its connectivity business: sensors, software, and services.

In developing and implementing services and solutions for the connected world, Bosch benefits from its expertise in software and sensor technology as well as, in particular, its broad business portfolio.

Bosch had launched an IoT campus already in Stuttgart in October last year.