Bosch at a glance:
Supplier of technology and services with a strong global presence

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 270,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The company originated as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering" founded in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942). Just a few years after the foundation of the company, the first sales offices were opened in London and Paris. Today, the Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. Of its 293 manufacturing sites, 224 are located outside Germany. Including sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in 150 countries.

To preserve its technologically leading position, the company spends considerable sums for research and development every year. In 2009, its research and development expenditure came to 3.6 billion euros, or 9.4 percent of sales. With these investments, Bosch is also strengthening the company's ecological orientation: even today, some 45 percent of this spending goes into the development of products that protect the environment and conserve resources. These products now account for one-third of total sales. Throughout the world, some 33,000 associates are involved in research and development for the Bosch Group. The company's technological competence is also manifested in its large number of patents: with more than 3,800 inventions, Bosch was the most prolific patent applicant in Germany in 2009. In the field of automotive technology, Bosch ranks first in the world when it comes to the number of patents.

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 up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. 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. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH carries on the social commitment and endeavors of the company founder in contemporary form. Up to 2009, more than 960 million euros had been donated for charitable purposes. The areas supported by the foundation include science, health and humanitarian aid, international understanding, and youth, education, society, and culture. The Stiftung's international activities are focused on the U.S., Europe, Turkey, the CIS states, China, India, and Japan.

 The Bosch Group - Key Data at a glance

Basisinformation 2010 - April 21, 2010