Finger on the pulse of Silicon Valley: Bosch expands its Research and Technology Center

Sunnyvale, USA, and Stuttgart, Germany – More space and more attractive working conditions for innovative research, development, trend scouting, and venture capital: Bosch has moved to a larger location in Silicon Valley, opening a new Research and Technology Center (RTC) in Sunnyvale. The RTC was previously located in Palo Alto, roughly 15 kilometers to the west. The cost of the new location amounts to 36 million euros (40 million dollars). “We have had a presence here for nearly 20 years. Moving forward, the new offices will help us keep our finger on the pulse of Silicon Valley, thanks also to our excellent connections to the local research community and local businesses,” said Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America, at the grand opening of the new RTC. The facilities bring together 200 associates under one roof for the first time. Covering almost 10,000 square meters, the new location offers 40 percent more space in total and room for up to 300 associates.

Going forward, the new location will help Bosch keep its finger on the pulse of Silicon Valley.

Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch in North America

“From basic research to market-ready solutions, as part of Bosch’s international research network, our associates in Silicon Valley have laid the foundation for innovative products and solutions in areas such as sensor technology and automated and connected vehicle systems,” said Hauke Schmidt, head of the Bosch Research and Technology Center, at the grand opening. Roughly half the company’s associates in Sunnyvale work in basic research and advance engineering to develop processes and solutions in fields such as data mining, sensors, artificial intelligence, and automated driving. The building, which has been leased for ten years, is also home to engineering activities for nine different Bosch divisions. Associates there work to transition research results into deployable solutions and conduct trend-scouting activities. The RTC also houses an office of Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH. The Bosch Group’s venture capital organization invests in innovative start-up companies around the world at all stages of development. Associates played a role in the design of the new location. Apart from modern laboratories, workshops, and offices, the location offers spaces for collaboration and creativity as well as an outdoor area that provide creative minds with sufficient opportunities to explore ideas and advance them through dialogue with each other or with the company’s scientific and business partners in the region.

Long-standing presence in the U.S. and Silicon Valley

Bosch has had a presence in the United States since 1906, and currently employs some 18,000 associates in the country, more than 2,000 of whom are researchers and engineers. The global supplier of technology and services remains highly confident of its prospects in the U.S. market, as its continuing investments show: from 2013 to 2017, Bosch invested roughly 1.3 billion euros in total in the United States. This included work to expand the Mobility Solutions plants in Charleston and Anderson. The Research and Technology Center in Silicon Valley was the company’s first research operation outside Europe. It started out in 1999, with just three associates. In its research and development activities in the United States, Bosch also relies on its long-term partnerships with renowned U.S. universities such as Stanford University and the University of California in Berkeley. The RTC also maintains offices near Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and directly opposite the MIT campus in Boston.