Experts name Bosch Germany’s most innovative company
In the current innovation ranking of Germany’s brandeins business magazine, Bosch has taken first place in three top-20 categories. The company was named Germany’s most innovative in the “Products and Services”, “Processes”, and “Corporate Culture” categories. BMW took second place, while Tesla Motors GmbH and Apple Germany occupied the third and fourth positions, respectively.
“We are very pleased to have done so well,” says Dr. Michael Bolle, President of Research and Advance Engineering at Bosch. “A high level of innovative strength is essential in our fields of business. This is why we invest time, knowledge, and money to build on it systematically.”
Last year, Bosch spent more than six billion euros on research and development. Of this amount, more than half was spent on products that make life more eco-friendly and safer. With its environment and safety portfolio, Bosch generated 40 percent of its sales in 2015.
This portfolio includes connected solutions across Bosch business sectors that improve energy efficiency, comfort, and safety: among them are the recently launched control system for buildings, the smart gas pedal, and the cloud-based warning signal for wrong-way drivers in connected vehicles.
Bosch’s systematic approach to ideas management is one of the reasons for its innovative strength. Associates at every Bosch location can make suggestions for improvement, for instance to optimize operations or increase product quality. In addition to its corporate suggestion scheme, the company also has a systematic approach to idea generation, which sees teams supported by specially trained coordinators.
Bosch is also a pioneer when it comes to work-time models. With the aim of improving work/life balance, the company carried out a number of projects in recent years – from part-time management to job sharing initiatives. Today, Bosch offers more than 100 work-time models and has made its family-friendly corporate culture part of its corporate guidelines.
The list of Germany’s most innovative companies is based on two online expert surveys. A total of 6,400 people were invited to provide their assessment. They included the representatives of companies that have won innovation prizes in the past, as well as senior executives with many years of industry experience. The survey asked respondents to select the most innovative companies among a list of 1,800 candidates.
(Reproduced content from Bosche’s official release)
