The rapid progress of advanced robotics — notably humanoid systems — is opening a new chapter in automation. Executives at Robert Bosch GmbH say the company is already developing the core technologies needed to support that market shift.
At the Bosch Connected World (BCW) event in Berlin, Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, stressed: “Advanced sensor technology, intelligent software solutions and the conversion of electrical energy into motion are not only the basis of automated mobility but also key building blocks of modern robotics.” Hartung argued that Bosch recognized growing demand for automation and robotics early, and today operates worldwide as a sought-after technology partner and supplier.
Market potential and cross-business synergies
Hartung described the rise of humanoid robotics as intensifying interest in Bosch components and technologies. The company aims to leverage synergies across its business units to capture growth in the robotics market, which it views as having milliard-scale commercial potential. Part of this strategy is increasing the efficiency of its German factories through automation, which the company says will boost competitiveness and help mitigate labour shortages.
Positioning as a technology partner, not a robot manufacturer
Tanja Rückert, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, put it succinctly: “Bosch puts the future into motion — on wheels and on robotic arms alike.” Rather than becoming a primary manufacturer of humanoid robots, Bosch positions itself as the provider of the hardware and software that form the “brain and nervous system” of modern robotics.
Bosch’s open ctrlX AUTOMATION platform enables fast, flexible and modular integration of robotic systems: for example, autonomous transport systems can be linked with high-precision robot arms that fit into existing production lines. Bosch Rexroth is already implementing multiple customer projects in this space.
Advanced sensing as a central requirement
Secure and precise robot operation requires refined tactile sensing in both industrial and domestic settings. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors provide that capability, allowing robots to grip objects with the right force and to react sensitively to physical interactions.
Bosch is a leading player in the MEMS sensor market, a technology of strategic importance at the company’s semiconductor plant in Reutlingen. Hartung highlighted a telling comparison: humans have about four million tactile receptors, and if robots were to be equipped with a comparable number of sensors, the world’s four-year sensor production would suffice for only 12,500 robots. That example illustrates both the growth opportunity in robotics and the strategic value of sensor manufacturing.
Yole Group forecasts that the global MEMS sensor market could exceed USD 19.2 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth of roughly 4 percent.
Cognitive robots and strategic partnerships
To accelerate automation and robotics development, Bosch relies on in-house innovation and open cooperation. The company established Robert Bosch Robotics GmbH to focus specifically on developing and bringing new robotics solutions to market.
Bosch also pursues strategic partnerships to broaden the application of robotics technologies. One example is cooperation with the German startup Neura Robotics to advance cognitive robots. Through its manufacturing experience, Bosch acts as a strategic partner to several leading robotics startups — including the British Humanoid and various U.S. and Chinese firms — with the aim of helping promising developments move from prototypes to large-scale industrial production. In China, the Bosch Robotics Center China (BROC), founded earlier this year, coordinates the company’s robotics activities and supports the advancement of physical artificial intelligence and faster market roll-out of new solutions.
Artificial intelligence as a driving force
Artificial intelligence is a central driver of robotics advancement. Rückert argued that combining modern electronics, precise mechanical systems and AI can enable technological breakthroughs that raise the level of automation: robots become capable of mapping their environment, interpreting processes and learning from experience.
Bosch integrates AI in two directions: it embeds cloud-based AI models into physical products for intelligent automated operation, and it applies AI extensively within its own production for production optimization, predictive maintenance and automatic defect detection. A major competitive advantage for Bosch is the global data asset built from more than 230 Bosch plants, which Rückert says provides unique industry insights beyond the machines themselves.
Using specialised data-collection systems, Bosch converts human expertise into machine-processable knowledge, accelerating the development of cognitive robots — an approach also used in joint projects with Neura Robotics.
The company’s Bosch Tech Compass international study, covering seven countries and more than 11,000 participants, supports the growing importance of AI: 70 percent of respondents believe AI will play an indispensable role in future progress.
Conclusion
Bosch’s strategy is to enable industrial-scale adoption of robotics through sensors, platforms, software and AI. Rather than positioning itself primarily as a robot maker, the company seeks to be a technology partner that helps scale innovations into mass production and bolsters Europe’s technological competitiveness.
