Bosch Rexroth has successfully concluded the 2021 financial year despite persistently difficult conditions. Order intake rose by 44 percent to a record 7.5 billion euros, securing further growth. Sales increased by 20 percent to 6.2 billion euros. The company has thus returned to pre-crisis levels in the second "pandemic year". The number of employees rose by 4.7% to around 31,100 worldwide.

Sales: strong growth worldwide

Sales growth for 2021 was driven by significant double-digit growth rates in all regions of the world. At 23.5 percent, Bosch Rexroth recorded the largest increase compared to the previous year in Europe outside Germany. Turnover there amounted to around 2 billion euros. In Germany, sales rose by 18.2 percent to 1.3 billion euros. In the Americas, sales increased by 18.3 percent to 1.1 billion euros, in Asia by 15.9 percent to 1.8 billion euros. At 6.2 billion euros, total sales are therefore back at the level of 2019, the year before the pandemic began.

Incoming orders: record figure as the basis for further growth

Bosch Rexroth achieved an order intake of 7.5 billion euros. This is around 800 million euros more than the comparable record figure from 2018. Compared to the previous year, Bosch Rexroth increased its order intake volume by 43.1 percent. Growth accelerated over the course of the year, particularly in the fourth quarter. The strong order intake offers potential for further growth. The high-volume hydraulics business showed strong demand, while factory automation activities also grew strongly.

More money for research & development and investments

Bosch Rexroth continues to invest in the future: 344 million euros were invested in research and development - an increase of 5.8 percent. The focus was on the electrification of mobile machinery, the factory automation portfolio based on the automation platform ctrlX Automation and integrated axis systems in the field of industrial hydraulics.

At around 180 million euros, the company spent 78.2 percent more on its international production network than in the previous year. The investments were primarily made in the optimization, expansion and renewal of production capacities in Germany, Turkey, China and Italy. The medium-term planning continues to include significant investments in production and logistics.

Further demand for specialists

The Bosch Rexroth team grew worldwide in 2021 by around 1,400 associates or 4.7 percent to around 31,100, mainly due to the high capacity utilization in production. The highest absolute growth was recorded in Germany (+410 associates or 3 percent). Proportionally, the workforce in North and South America grew the most (+15.5 percent and 384 associates respectively). Bosch Rexroth continues to have a strong need for specialists, particularly for its activities in factory automation, production-related areas and software development, as well as for sales engineers.

Sustainability for customers and in our own processes

Sustainability not only plays a major role in the innovations in the product portfolio. Bosch Rexroth's 47 production sites have been climate-neutral since 2020. In a further step, the company is reducing indirect_{CO2 emissions} along the entire product life cycle. This includes the consumption of raw materials, emissions from the manufacture of preliminary products by suppliers and the actual use of products. The aim is to reduce_{CO2 emissions} along the supply chain by 15 percent by 2030.

Outlook for 2022: optimism with restrictions

"We are generally optimistic about the future and anticipate further significant sales growth - but the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic, which has still not been overcome, are clearly factors of uncertainty due to their global impact," says Rolf Najork, CEO of Bosch Rexroth. "The safety of our teams worldwide is always our top priority. We are maintaining close contact with our customers both digitally and in person - for example at our new Customer and Innovation Center in Ulm. And we are doing everything we can to continue to supply our customers reliably."

Bosch Rexroth is therefore continuing to adapt to the general conditions in light of the war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, for example, the development of demand is being closely coordinated with customers and suppliers. To safeguard supply capability, long-term agreements are concluded where necessary and secondary suppliers are established to enable local procurement in the markets. Teams of experts continuously assess supply risks and take preventative measures. This also applies to the global transport networks.

Regionalization as an opportunity

Opportunities arise, for example, from government infrastructure projects that boost demand for construction machinery. In Europe and North America, new production plants for goods of all kinds are being built in order to regionalize supply chains. Global initiatives and government measures to protect the climate are leading to a high demand for the modernization of installed machines and systems in order to increase energy efficiency. The digital transformation of mechanical engineering also remains a growth driver. With the "Industry 4.0 Center Asia" in Xi'an, China, the company is opening up new markets and applications in the world's largest industrial market.