Digitalization and networking are changing industry at a rapid pace. Networked production lines keep a constant eye on their own status and warn experts of failures. Robots are collaborating ever more closely with employees in production and logistics and increasing productivity. McKinsey expects the digitalization of manufacturing in Germany alone to have a sales potential of almost nine billion euros by 2020. In the long term, the greatest potential lies not only in hardware or device networking, but also in intelligent software - which is what makes applications relating to the Internet of Things possible in the first place. Bosch has set the structural course for further growth in the software business: At the beginning of the year, 500 associates from the new Bosch Connected Industry business unit started work in Germany, Hungary and China. The company is bundling Industry 4.0 activities in the new unit, including in the areas of software and services.

Dr.-Ing. Stefan Hartung

"We want to make the most of the potential of connected industry, and to do this we need the best possible team set-up," says Bosch Board of Management member Dr. Stefan Hartung, who is responsible for production coordination and therefore also the topic of Industry 4.0. By 2020, the Bosch Group aims to generate more than one billion euros in additional sales with Industry 4.0.

Dr. Stefan Aßmann heads new unit

Dr. Stefan Aßmann

The head of the new division is Bosch engineer Dr. Stefan Aßmann. He was previously plant manager in Germany and abroad as well as head of internal special machine construction at Bosch. Under his leadership, numerous Industry 4.0 solutions have already been industrialized, such as the automatic production assistant APAS. This "robot arm" is the first assistance system in production that allows direct collaboration with humans without additional protective equipment. Aßmann reports directly to Bosch Managing Director Hartung.

Consultants accompany you into the Industry 4.0 era

As part of the transition to networked production, many companies are faced with the question of which solution is the right one for certain requirements. For example, how can machines in a production environment that has evolved over decades be efficiently networked with one another? Bosch Industry Consulting, another newly established unit, provides the answers. The aim of the consultants from this unit is to support companies and their associates on the path to a transparent, efficient and networked factory. Bosch can draw on its extensive experience as a leading user and leading provider of Industry 4.0 solutions. kp