Stuttgart, Germany – A collision, a loud bang, and the worst-case scenario has been avoided – that’s the easiest way to describe the benefits of an airbag. Playing a key role in this protective “detonation” is the airbag control unit. It functions as the control center for the lifesaving inflatable cushion. Forty years ago, Bosch joined forces with the Daimler-Benz AG to start production of the world’s first electronic airbag control unit – giving a decisive boost to passenger protection. “Bosch is a pioneer in automotive electronics and safety,” says Bosch board of management member Harald Kröger. “The electronic airbag control unit shows what we mean by ‘Invented for life.’” Since the start of full-scale production in December 1980, Bosch has manufactured more than 250 million airbag control units, constantly refining the technology all the while. The company’s accident researchers estimate that since the market launch of Bosch’s airbag control units, the front, side, and head airbags they deploy have helped save some 90,000 lives around the world. This makes them a key component of vision zero: no fatalities or serious injuries in road traffic.
Mobility is the largest Bosch Group business sector. It generated sales of 52.6 billion euros in 2022, and thus contributed almost 60 percent of total sales. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is safe, sustainable, and exciting. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector’s main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 421,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2022). The company generated sales of 88.2 billion euros in 2022. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility, 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 470 subsidiary and regional companies in over 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 136 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 85,500 associates in research and development, of which nearly 44,000 are software engineers.
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