• Pick Up
• New Research and Development Facility
• Flexible Work Style

Bosch is working on a new R&D facility for the Bosch Group. Currently, R&D resources are scattered across various locations in Japan. The "FUSION Project" will bring them together in a newly constructed campus in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City. This will create a new fusion that will govern the future. The name of the project literally means "fusion". We asked Jun Shimoyamada, who leads the FUSION Project Promotion Office, and Taeko Saeki, a member of the project, about the overview and goals of the project.

Strengthening development capabilities through technology integration, and becoming a base for new innovation

First of all, please give us an overview of the "FUSION Project" and tell us about its background and origin.

Shimoyamada: Bosch is currently planning a new facility with seven floors above ground and two floors below ground, with a total floor area of 53,000 square meters, located a five-minute walk from Center Kita Station on the municipal subway in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City.

Scheduled for completion in 2024, approximately 2,000 associates from eight locations in the Tokyo and Yokohama areas, including the head office currently located in Shibuya, will relocate to this R&D facility. The investment for the construction project is approximately 39 billion Japanese yen, the largest amount since Bosch's entry into the Japanese market in 1911.

Bosch's business in Japan has been growing steadily, and even in the last few years, the number of associates and the number of domestic locations have continued to increase, and the company has had to lease offices in various places because it could not accommodate all of the associates in its own buildings alone. First of all, I feel the need to consolidate these.

Bosch is increasing its software engineers globally by 10% each year, and plans to hire 250 new software engineers in Japan by the end of 2023. The new facility aims to create an environment where software engineers and AI-savvy associates can play an active role.

An important point is that rather than simply consolidating personnel, we also felt the need to share knowledge across business divisions and to promote collaboration across various fields in order to envision the mobility of the future.

In January 2021, Bosch established the Cross-Domain Computing Solutions Division (XC Division), which represents a fusion of software and electronics technology that straddles conventional business domains, to propose solutions that will control the vehicle systems of the future. In order to promote such collaboration more efficiently, a new R&D facility was necessary.

The new site will bring together business divisions and group companies in areas such as vehicle control, safety systems, driving assistance and automated driving, HMI (human-machine interface), in-vehicle electronic components, vehicle software, connected services, engineering, and automotive aftermarket.

At the same time, the headquarters functions in Shibuya, as well as business divisions other than Mobility Solutions, such as Industrial Technology and Energy and Building Technology, will also be relocated to this facility. We expect that the establishment of the new R&D facility will further strengthen our development capabilities in Japan.

Shaping the future of mobility in a region with a long history

Please tell us why you chose the new base in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City.

Shimoyamada: The City of Yokohama was recruiting project developers for the site where the community's Ward Cultural Center will be built in Tsuzuki Ward. As it happens, the site is only about two kilometers away (linear distance) from our current Yokohama office (Ushikubo), which is involved in powertrain-related research and development. By constructing a new R&D facility in the vicinity, we also aimed to promote further technological integration between the offices.

Conceptual images of the design of the new facility have also been unveiled. What thoughts went into this design?

Shimoyamada: Bosch is a technology company that uses its cutting-edge technological capabilities, especially in mobility, to shape the future of automated driving. We put that future-oriented approach into the design of the building. The exterior is a very simple rectangle, and the design of the building is chic.

We plan to build an experimental facility in the basement of the building that will allow us to conduct vehicle experiments under all conditions, including a thermal environment. We might secretly research vehicles that would surprise the general public, like those that appear in Hollywood movies (laughs).

On the other hand, Tsuzuki Ward is an area with a rich history where ancient ruins such as 10,000-year-old Jomon ruins, shell mounds, and tombs have been excavated. While thinking about such history, we tried to express the dynamism of connecting the past, present, and future in the building.

Conceptual image of the "New R&D Facility" to be completed in FY2024

Leading the group as an environmentally advanced office and a public-private partnership project

Since this is a new R&D facility, consideration for the environment is also important.

Saeki: Originally, the area was developed based on an urban plan that links forests, waterfronts, and historical heritage with greenways. We are thinking of arranging plants and green spaces on the premises of the new facility to provide a relaxing space for visitors.

In addition, what can be said to be unique to Bosch is its commitment to carbon neutrality and sustainability. The Bosch Group also has divisions that are developing products for hydrogen applications in mobility applications and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In the new building, a SOFC system that operates on city gas will be installed to generate electricity.

Bosch is already introducing SOFC systems as pilot projects at several locations in Germany. However, this is the first time that the Bosch Group has decided to install SOFC systems at a location in the Asia Pacific region. We are promoting advanced environmental initiatives, including solar panels, louvers on the windows, natural ventilation, and reuse of rainwater.

The fact that it is a public-private partnership project is also noteworthy in terms of its relationship with the local community.

Shimoyamada: As a promise to Yokohama City, we at Bosch are also involved in the construction of the Ward Cultural Center. Our mission is to create a lively community through the synergistic effect of the residents' cultural center and the new company building, and to lead to regional revitalization. From a global perspective, this is the first time that the Bosch Group has participated in such a public-private partnership project.

For example, in the current design plan, an all-weather plaza of 1,000 square meters will be intentionally installed between the new office building and the Ward Cultural Center. The all-weather plaza is intended to be a place where people can come and go and relax throughout the year.

When local residents visit the Ward Cultural Center for concerts and theater performances, they will find that there are not only a plaza and cafés, but also Bosch's showroom, multi-purpose spaces, conference facilities, and R&D facilities. Interesting events will be held in the plaza and facilities. The residents previously might not have really known what Bosch, a foreign-affiliated company, was doing, so I would be happy if this creates an opportunity for the residents to learn that we are doing something interesting.

We are thinking of incorporating a mechanism whereby as you approach the facility, an app installed on your smartphone will introduce Bosch's latest events and technologies. Bosch engineers can show that app to their family and friends and they can be proud of their company.

A culture in which office design and work styles are decided by oneself

The fact that associates freely share their opinions and decide what kind of office design to introduce in the new building is a culture unique to Bosch.

Saeki: Bosch places great importance on dialogue between associates and has a culture of listening to the opinions of associates from the bottom up. In this project as well, we are promoting change management activities as a team with the aim of "sharing views and opinions, even if they are just ideas, and working together with associates to create a facility to which they will want to come".

For example, I think it is typical of Bosch to discuss things openly and flatly, such as deciding on the interior of the cafeteria through voting by associates, or holding a workshop with spokespersons from all business divisions, including group companies, to generate ideas about public areas.

There is also a view that it is quite a bold decision to construct a new office building during the coronavirus pandemic.

Shimoyamada: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, remote work is recommended, and some companies are downsizing their head office functions or dispersing their offices. I believe that companies and organizations around the world must seriously address the question of what work styles should be like in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Bosch is a company that emphasizes dialogue, so we want to stick to face-to-face communication. To that end, even if it is not every day, associates go to the office whenever they want, and participate in business activities, workshops, and training. We believe that it is necessary to have appealing head office functions that encourage associates to collaborate with each other.

Saeki: On top of that, associates discuss and decide whether their department or team should work remotely or whether they should come to the office, and what kind of work style to choose. It is not a company-wide system, but rather the choice is left to each department, team, or working group.

As a result, we will show how work will change and how efficiency will improve, and we will flexibly change our work style accordingly. People who have changed jobs from Japanese companies seem to be surprised at first by such a culture at Bosch.

How can we enable diverse work styles and at the same time ensure the feeling of unity and safety of being a member of the Bosch Group? I believe that providing such a "place" is the essence of the FUSION project.

At Bosch, even a single meeting takes the form of a workshop, where each associate writes down ideas, visualizes his or her own thoughts, and gathers opinions in a well-established style. The place enables us to chat and exchange ideas. This becomes the seed of innovation.

We would like to strengthen our efforts to connect such bottom-up idea creation to innovation at our new facility in Yokohama as well.

(Photo, left) Taeko Saeki, FUSION Project Promotion Office, Communication CSR

The FUSION Project creates a new "place" that brings the excitement of encounters

Shimoyamada: From time to time, I travel on business to our German headquarters near Stuttgart. There is a café corner on the floor of one of the departments in the headquarters, and the head of the department usually drinks coffee and chats there.

When I walk by, the head of the department might say, "How are things in Japan? Are there any concerns now?" or I might be invited to take a seat and talk. Inviting me to talk relaxes me if I am nervous becuase it has been a long time since I've been on a business trip to the headquarters in Germany. This is quite a moving and emotional experience that is hard to come by (smiles).

In the FUSION Project, we want to make it possible to experience the excitement and emotion of such encounters. Not only executives and managers, but also each and every associate can become a creator of that excitement, inspiration, and co-creation. We would like to aim for such an R&D facility.