Yokohama — Bosch Corporation, the Japanese subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, a leading global supplier of technology and services, held a commemorative event today to celebrate the completion of the new headquarters in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama, as well as the Tsuzuki Ward Cultural Center (also known as Bosch Hall) and an all-weather plaza, which had been under construction on the same premises. The new headquarters has been in operation since May 2024. Takeharu Yamanaka, mayor of Yokohama City participated in the tape-cutting ceremony as guest of honor.

Tanja Rückert, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, responsible for Japan, said at the press conference: "I am very proud of our new energy-efficient and state-of-the-art headquarters here in Yokohama – it is a perfect match for a tech-savvy country like Japan. We are very honored to partake in this public-private partnership project with Tsuzuki and Yokohama City. Our mission is to continue to work side-by-side with the local government, to create an exciting and engaging environment that serves the local community and the people in it. It is a testament that we remain committed to the Japan market, and the communities in which we operate – and thus continue our 113-year journey in the country."

With the relocation of the new headquarters, associates from eight offices scattered in the Tokyo-Yokohama area have been consolidated, which contributed to closer collaboration of the mobility divisions reorganized earlier this year. Klaus Meder, president and representative director of Bosch Corporation said: "By consolidating the reorganized divisions into the new headquarters and the existing R&D facility in the same Tsuzuki Ward, the collaboration across divisions is promoted. In the future, the development structure in Japan will be further strengthened. This will enable Bosch in Japan to grow further and better serve our customers."

Takeharu Yamanaka, mayor of Yokohama City said: "With the relocation of Bosch’s new headquarters, I hope that it will generate new vitality and innovation. We will also work to ensure that the Bosch Hall, scheduled to open next March, will serve as a center for cultural activities rooted in the local community and help to make the area lively. In synergy with the all-weather plaza and other facilities, I expect that the Bosch Hall will become a new symbol of Tsuzuki Ward by creating further liveliness."

Strengthening development capability by establishing testing facilities
Japan is an important market for Bosch. Bosch started its operations in Japan in 1911 in Yokohama. Since then, Bosch has been expanding its presence in Japan for 113 years and has contributed to the development of the Japanese industry in a wide range of fields, from power tools to industrial equipment, and especially in the field of mobility.

With the relocation, the new headquarters brought together approximately 2,000 associates of the Bosch Group, who were previously stationed at eight locations in the Tokyo-Yokohama area. The new headquarters is located about two kilometers from an existing R&D facility in Ushikubo, Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City. More than 40 percent of the associates of the Bosch Group are now consolidated in these two facilities. Going forward, the company expects to promote cooperation and collaboration across divisions at these two facilities.

At the new headquarters, Bosch is strengthening its R&D facilities to respond to trends in automotive development such as electrification, automation, as well as software-defined vehicle. One example is the construction of a new semi-anechoic chamber, which will be installed by the end of this year. With this equipment developers can test how operating noise and vibration of mounted products are transmitted throughout vehicles. With the spread of electric and hybrid vehicles, the importance of noise and vibration testing is increasing because more and more users are concerned about the machine operated sound in the quiet car cabin.

In addition, Bosch has established a new electromagnetic anechoic chamber for radar measurements required for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Radar, installed behind vehicle emblems, bumpers, and other parts must be measured using parts from the customer's development vehicle because differences in their materials, paint color, and shape affect their performance. Previously, measurements were performed at Bosch sites in Germany and Hungary – the new facility in Japan will contribute to shortening the test period and reducing the transportation cost for the test parts. In addition, Bosch has installed a new tuning room to adjust the call quality and hands-free voice control quality in the car from the in-vehicle infotainment system. By connecting the customers' development vehicles to the test equipment and making adjustments, it will be possible to test whether the quality of in-vehicle voice recognition meets international standards and the standards of various manufacturers.

In addition to the full-scale lab on the first and second basement floors, small to medium-sized labs separated by glass walls are installed on the second to fourth office floors. The various teams that had previously worked in multiple locations are now able to collaborate at the new headquarters, and by having adjacent R&D facilities on the office floors with an open layout, it will be easier to collaborate across divisions and development teams. For example, it will be easier to exchange information and check the progress of projects between engineers working in the R&D area and project managers working in the office area. It is also expected that communication between experts in different technical domains will be more active, which will further promote cross-domain development. In this way, the new headquarters will allow experts who were previously scattered across multiple locations to cooperate and promote R&D while communicating closely with teams and other divisions. This initiative aims to establish a structure that allows different teams working on various functions to seamlessly develop a software system. This is especially important with the advent of consolidated architectures and the arrival of the software-defined vehicle era.

In this way, at the new headquarters, some testing facilities have been expanded and newly introduced to meet the requirements of Japanese customers as automotive development evolves. Moreover, cooperation and collaboration among the divisions have strengthened the development structure in Japan, enabling Bosch to respond quickly to the diverse needs of Japanese customers. Bosch will continue to support Japanese customers as a leading technology company and contribute to shaping the future of mobility.

Bosch and Tsuzuki Ward to create a synergistic lively community
In 2018, Bosch was selected by Yokohama City as the prospective project partner to utilize the planned site for the development of a Ward Cultural Center in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City. The company has constructed its new headquarters and the Tsuzuki Ward Cultural Center on the premises, and they have now been completed as scheduled. This is the first public-private partnership project of the Bosch Group, and it is the first time for Bosch to integrate one of its own offices into a local facility to create a lively community. The Tsuzuki Ward Cultural Center, nicknamed "Bosch Hall" under a naming rights contract between Bosch and the city of Yokohama, is scheduled to open in March 2025.

Bosch will also introduce a variety of initiatives on the first floor of its new headquarters to create a lively atmosphere and enhance brand recognition. On September 7, 2024, "café 1886 at Bosch" will open to the public. The menu will include dishes related to Germany, where Bosch is headquartered, and the café provides an opportunity for the local community to relax. The building will also feature a Bosch showroom where the company will showcase its products, technologies and services ranging from mobility solutions to power tools. Bosch will also collaborate with the Yokohama History Museum, located near the new headquarters, to permanently exhibit items related to Yokohama City. Furthermore, from the spring of 2025, Bosch plans to rent out a large conference room and some small- and medium-sized meeting rooms to the public for a fee. Going forward, Bosch will contribute to regional revitalization and cultural promotion in Tsuzuki Ward.

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Aiko Furuichi
Mariko Johdoji
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