More space for maverick thinkers

Ludwigsburg, Germany – To get a proper impression of Robert Bosch Start-up GmbH’s new facility in Ludwigsburg, visitors need to take their time. There is a lot for them to discover: Retro armchairs look very inviting and Persian carpets create a living-room feel, while colorful metal structures make sure that things do not get too cozy. After all, this is still a place of work. Not one of the six unconventionally designed rooms is alike. It is now possible, for example, to hold a team meeting in a Norwegian chalet. But why all the fuss? “Meeting in a new setting different from normal office surroundings helps associates come up with completely new ideas and put them into practice,” says Peter Guse, the general manager of Robert Bosch Start-up GmbH. The idea is to have as many different stimuli as possible for as many as 250 future associates. It is hoped these will help them see things from a completely new perspective. Bosch is investing roughly three million euros in the new premises.

From associate to entrepreneur

At the end of 2013, Guse and his team started out with the aim of encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit internally and using it to identify new business in new markets. Just over four years later, this is still their aim. The objective is to bring products and services to market sooner than is possible in a large company. For example, there are the sensor solutions that the Bosch start-up Deepfield Connect provides to make work easier for farmers. “Our flat hierarchy and shorter communication channels speed up processes,” Guse says. A creative work environment is the ideal framework. This was why artists were given free rein to decorate the old factory that was to become the future home of Robert Bosch Start-up GmbH.

Using a wide range of materials from Bosch factories, they collaborated with associates to create new workspaces. Start-up associates now have 5,000 square meters at their disposal. The new space offers plenty of room for maverick thinkers who want to use innovative ideas to develop new business and exciting products for Bosch. “We are lending teams our support not only in terms of space. We are also critical partners in all aspects of successful business development – from HR support, financing and business planning, right up to legal issues and marketing,” Guse says. In this way, associates become entrepreneurs. Aside from the in-house start-ups, innovation teams from Bosch divisions will also work at the new premises. Peter Guse and his team from Robert Bosch Start-up GmbH will be on hand to help turn good ideas into innovative products and services.