Bosch bets big on South East Asia, to invest 80 million euros

Bosch will invest 80 million euros (Rs 600 crore) in South East Asia by the end of the year in order to expand its facilities.

”Southeast Asia is an important region for the Bosch Group. To support growth in the region, we are planning to invest around 80 million euros in Southeast Asia this year,” said Peter Tyroller, member of the Bosch board of management responsible for Asia-Pacific.

In the first half of 2016, Bosch opened new offices in the Philippines and Indonesia. The company is also planning to expand its Mobility Solutions plants in Malaysia und Vietnam. Additionally, a new plant in Thailand is planned. In the past 10 years, Bosch has invested almost 500 million euros in the expansion of its manufacturing and development locations in Southeast Asia.

Huge opportunities in South East Asia 

In 2015, Bosch achieved sales growth of 12 percent in Southeast Asia, generating more than 780 million euros. The company also expects positive development in the current year, despite partially volatile economic development in some of the Asean markets. In the first half of the year, business in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam developed well. The German supplier is banking on the region’s large and young population, the growing purchasing power of the middle class, increasing demand for infrastructure, urbanisation, and the need to conserve natural resources. The company also sees potential in the area of connectivity and the Internet of Things (IoT) in Southeast Asia.

Strong local presence

Bosch has been present in Southeast Asia since 1919. Today, the company employs more than 6,800 associates in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. The company has manufactured locally for more than 20 years and currently has seven plants in the region.

In Malaysia, Bosch manufactures power tools, products for the Car Multimedia division, and steering systems. The Bosch plant in Vietnam produces variable transmissions belts for automatic drive systems. In Thailand, Bosch manufactures washing machines, wipers, and gasoline systems.

Southeast Asia is also becoming increasingly important for the Bosch Group’s global R&D network. The company has had development activities in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia for several years already.

Since 2010, Bosch has operated its first software development center in Southeast Asia in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Among other things, engineers at the center work on software solutions for the Internet of Things. This makes Bosch an increasingly important software employer in the region. In Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia, the company has implemented the German concept of dual education.

Strengthening the brand

Besides expanding its regional presence, Bosch is also strengthening its brand communication in Southeast Asia. The first international corporate campaign has been launched in the growth region, with marketing and PR activities on different channels. The campaign aims to show that Bosch offers technologies in many areas, among them automotive parts such as spark plugs, wipers, batteries, brakes, and driver assistance systems.