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Robert Bosch Open Innovation Partnerships

Let´s innovate together as partners!

Welcome to a whole new chance of co-creation.

Business people walk in modern offices

Our Fields of Interest

It doesn´t matter if you are a young startup, a progressive university or a large enterprise, just check our fields of interest and submit for a serious collaboration with Bosch. We truly believe in partnerships. What about you?

ctrlX AUTOMATION
Automation

ctrlX – AUTOMATION

ctrlX – ctrlX AUTOMATION

With ctrlX AUTOMATION, Bosch Rexroth is exploring completely new avenues in automation as the platform surmounts the classic boundaries between machine controls, the IT world and the Internet of Things. Using a Linux real-time operating system, consistently open standards, app programming technology, web-based engineering and a comprehensive IoT connection, ctrlX AUTOMATION reduces components and engineering costs by 30 to 50%.

Thanks to the maximum openness of the platform, users can use apps from Bosch Rexroth, applications from third-party providers or apps they have produced themselves. As a result, applications for all automation tasks are available. More and more third-party providers are joining the partner ecosystem ctrlX World.

You would like to become a part of the ctrlX World too? Do not hesitate and submit your idea!

ctrlX AUTOMATION

Automation

Electronic Control Unit
Automotive Electronics

ECU – Electronic Control Units

ECU – Electronic Control Units

As a leading automotive company that designs and manufactures electronic control units (ECUs), we are always looking for innovative ways to further improve quality and reduce cost of our ECUs. This includes new materials, novel approaches for both electronics and mechanical design as well as manufacturing.

Do you have an innovation that is ready to revolutionize this market? Then submit your idea here and we will get back to you shortly.

Electronic Control Units

Automotive Electronics

Professional Craftsmen
Power Tools

PRO – Professional Craftsmen

PRO – Professional Craftsmen

Modern power tools are powerful machines that support the daily business of professional craftsmen. We enable our users to maximize their performance with great focus on safety and convenience. Still, certain types of work generate a high degree of load on the body, e.g.

  • overhead work,
  • the need to lift manually lift heavy tools or equipment,
  • exposure to a high degree of vibration and shocks.



To further enhance our professional tools, we are looking for out-of-the-box ideas on how to tackle the above issues and to facilitate the work execution with power tools. We aim to reduce the load the user experiences during work and to improve ergonomics. We are looking in particular at those tasks which cannot be executed over an extended duration or which, if executed improperly, cause pain or distress. Both business ideas and technical realizations are of interest, in particular if they are related to the usage of power tools Bosch currently supplies

Professional Craftsmen

Power Tools

Do It Yourself (DIY)
Power Tools

DIY – Do It Yourself

DIY – Do It Yourself

Realizing ambitious home improvement or decoration projects can be highly fulfilling. DIY enthusiasts can use tools and materials to achieve great results without much prior experience. “DIYers” make use of inspiring ideas, tutorials, and manuals from online and offline sources. They can realize their projects on their own without professional support or guidance by others. However, some challenges remain:

  • selecting the best suited materials e.g. from the local hardware store,
  • using power tools for the first time without prior training or guidance,
  • adapting plans (e.g. geometry) to own requirements and transferring the needed markings to work pieces for processing.


To provide our users the best DIY experience possible, we are looking for out-of-the-box ideas on how to tackle the above issues and to make the first projects for beginning DIYers easy and fun. In this challenge, we are interested in business ideas and technical realizations.

Do It Yourself

Power Tools

Technology Startup
Startup Innovations

TECH – Technology Startups

TECH – Technology Startups

At Bosch we are always looking for leading start-ups that want to co-innovate with us. This includes co-development of highly innovative products as well as improving new products with your innovative technology.

In a joint effort with our Open Bosch team, we will facilitate collaboration between our experts and your start-up, and help with finding the best way of collaboration for both sides.

If you are located nearby one of our Connectory co-innovation spaces, come meet us in person, join our events and become a member in our innovation ecosystem.

Please also refer to the Bosch Startup Harbour for more possibilities to collaborate with us.

Interested? Then submit your idea here and we will get back to you shortly.

Technology Startups

Startup Innovations

Continuous Improvement Process
Supplier Innovations

CIP – Continuous Improvement Process

CIP – Continuous Improvement Process

In today’s economy continuous improvement is a crucial source to strengthen competitiveness. Our aim is to constantly detect fields for improvement of both products and processes together with our suppliers. We are supporting an efficient collaboration between you and all relevant cross-functional partners within Bosch, leading to more transparence about decisions, state and success of your proposals.

We kindly invite you to provide us with your proposals for continuous improvement.

Continuous Improvement Process

Supplier Innovations

BODAS Connect
IoT Telematics

BODAS Connect

BODAS Connect

Modular and open IoT Telematics solution for mobile machines in the off-highway market. Unbundled and freely selectable services consisting of device management, data management and ready to use services and interfaces.

Thanks to the openness of BODAS Connect, customers can use services and applications from Bosch Rexroth and from third-party providers. Moreover, customers can develop services and applications by themselves. As a result, customers can choose from a wide range of applications for several use cases and branches. More and more third-party providers are joining the partner ecosystem of BODAS Connect.

You would like to become a part of the BODAS Connect World too and shape the future of Farming and the Construction site of the future? Do not hesitate and submit your idea!

Learn more

BODAS COnnect

IoT Telematics

Technology for Electrolysis Stacks and Peripherals
Electrolysis

ELY – Technology for Electrolysis Stacks and Peripherals

Electrolysis

Bosch is a provider of components for the upcoming green hydrogen economy. Among others, we are active in the field of electrolysis stacks (primarily with PEM technology) and other related products, such as power electronics, controllers, sensors and actuators.

Are you a supplier of innovative technologies and solutions for electrolysis in the field of the above-mentioned components? Then submit your offering here and become part of the Bosch success story in this hyper-scaling market!

Technology for Electrolysis Stacks and Peripherals

Electrolysis

ctrlX Flow
Automated motion

ctrlX - FLOW

ctrlX - FLOW

Speed and dynamics are driving modern factories. And intralogistics too. The aim is to ensure short throughput times by optimizing material flows. Automated motion solutions are the key here: ctrlX FLOW, as a linear motion system, brings flexibility and high speed to manufacturing – with maximum precision and reduced space requirements. The space-saving high-speed system can be configured flexibly for various topologies and thus applications. It is also 100 percent integrated into the automation toolkit ctrlX AUTOMATION and benefits from the openness and safety and the entire ecosystem.

ctrlx flow

Automated motion

Why should you submit?

We offer you a fast track directly into our organization through a strong network that we have built throughout many years. You will have a personal advisor who will introduce you to relevant Bosch contacts in order to establish meaningful partnerships.

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Full Transparency

We aim for full transparency and want you to know exactly in which stage your proposal is currently in at any time. After your submission has been validated and you received a positive answer from us you will have one dedicated contact person who is your direct link to Bosch. Your Personal Advisor will identify matching contacts for you and will help you during the entire process.

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Dynamic Internal Network

You could spend hours to find the right contact on social media and on doing cold calls - or you just make use of our strong network. We spent years to set up a strong internal network that is routed deeply in every single Bosch department and is constantly growing. Thus, it allows for fast tracks directly to those people for whom your solution will create the biggest impact.

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Cross Divisional Purposes

Does your proposal seem to be relevant only for one specific use case? We will spread your proposal across our network in a targeted way to identify other less obvious areas of application within Bosch and introduce you to the most promising contacts. There is no need to search on your own for relevant Bosch contacts - simply rely on our experts and our solid network.

Present your solution

Do you have an innovative product, a patent or a solution that you want to drive forward together with Bosch? Then submit now and present it to us! Do you want to know what happens after your submission? Just scroll down to get an impression of a typical workflow.

Application Process

01 - Initial Check

Once you have submitted your proposal, it will be reviewed by our experts. Regularly after four weeks, you will receive feedback from us as to whether your proposal seems to be interesting for a potential application and whether we would like to enter into more in-depth discussions with you. The more precisely you present your topic, the higher the chance that we see potential for Bosch in it.

02 - Deep Dive

When we see potential for a cooperation, we not only talk to the directly fitting accounts but also use our strong internal network to talk to Bosch experts from different areas about your proposal. This may sound arbitrary at first, but we have often experienced that cooperation potentials open up in places where nobody would expect them. From this point on, you will have a personal advisor at your side who will accompany you throughout the entire cooperation period and provide you with targeted assistance.

03 - Match Making

After we have thoroughly evaluated the potential for cooperation in our expert deep dives and identified suitable areas of application, your personal advisor will organize appointments with the most promising opportunities. Your personal advisor will also support you in the meeting preparation and further discussions, if necessary. Thus we will arrange meetings for you with the most relevant experts and you will have the chance to convince them personally.

We believe in innovation and partnerships. This is what we are looking for.

Connected Mobility

Connected Mobility

A car that parks itself, and can be unlocked and started simply by using a smartphone. A system that warns drivers about the tail end of a traffic jam around the next bend. E-scooters that can be rented by app on the spur of the moment. Around the world, we’re working on smart mobility concepts like these – and many more – to make driving even safer and more relaxed.

Connected Living

Connected Living

In a connected house, everything runs like clockwork: coffee machines know exactly how you like your morning cup, lighting and music adapt to the occasion, lawnmowers know how to keep the grass in perfect shape, and much more – our intelligent devices not only adapt to their owners’ requirements, but get smarter all the time. We’re making homes smarter than they’ve ever been.

Manufacture #LikeABosch

Connected Industry

Industry 4.0 is when factories can be adapted to any requirements and learn independently at the same time. For Bosch, the secret here is to combine the best of people, data, and machines. And while artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms make processes simpler, more efficient, and more flexible, people still have full control over everything that happens.

Enabling Technology

Enabling Technology

Did you develop a new revolutionizing computing processor, a highly innovative security software, an outstanding coating material or something else along those lines? That sounds like an enabling technology. Every great product consists of many different parts, components and processes that no one but the experts can see – whether they are hardware or software related. However mostly these parts and the way they are assembled determine the success or failure of an innovative product.