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

In 2024, Bosch will establish a new facility in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama. The newly established project is called the "FUSION Project" and it is being promoted not only by the project members but also by ambassadors appointed from each business division. Kazunori Watanabe, who is involved in the FUSION project, and Masakazu Kobayashi, an engineer, talk about the appeal of the new office and their expectations for the future from their own perspectives.

[Video] Members talk about the full story of the FUSION project (Video: Japanese language)

*Please note that the audio will start when you press the play button.

Please watch a video about Bosch's FUSION project on YouTube.

This article will describe in detail the concept of the FUSION project and the thoughts of the project members.

Approximately 2,000 associates will be brought together at the new office

First of all, please tell us about your role in the FUSION project.

Kazunori Watanabe (hereafter, Watanabe): Bosch's new R&D facility project is called the FUSION project. I am in charge of facility operation planning for the new R&D facility.

Masakazu Kobayashi (hereafter, Kobayashi): I belong to the Vehicle Motion Division, where I am in charge of designing sensors for chassis control, such as electronic stability control devices, and airbag system ECUs. I am involved in the FUSION project as an ambassador appointed by the business division.

Could you provide an overview of the FUSION project?

Watanabe: Bosch plans to establish a new R&D facility in the Center Kita area of Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama in 2024. This is called the "FUSION Project". The new office will be a very large building with seven floors above ground, two floors below ground, and a total area of approximately 50,000 square meters.

The aim of the project is to bring together approximately 2,000 Bosch associates who are dispersed across multiple locations as of February 2023. I think that the office will be a place where new engineers who will join the company will be excited to work.

It is very spacious for an office.

Watanabe: I agree. Furthermore, the FUSION project is characterized by a public-private partnership (PPP). Therefore, in addition to the Bosch office building, Yokohama City's Tsuzuki Ward Cultural Center (tentative name) also will be built at the same site. In order to create a lively atmosphere in the area, we are trying to build an office that is more rooted in the community. This is the first public-private partnership project for Bosch worldwide.

Incorporating natural energy and commitment to sustainability at the new facility

Commentary on the FUSION project by Johannes, who leads the architecture and design.

Johannes: The FUSION project is a very large project not only for the Bosch Group in Japan, but also for Bosch globally as a whole.

Johannes: I would like to introduce one of the most unique aspects of Bosch's new building design. First, by placing many balconies along the exterior walls, we will incorporate a system that allows natural light to enter the building from the rooftop, while at the same time enabling natural ventilation. By doing so, we will not only improve the working environment for our associates, but also aim to save energy and reduce costs at the same time.

In addition, rainwater will be used to water plants and flush toilets. By installing louvers (slender plates lined up in the openings that act as sunshades and screens) on the outer walls, it is possible to prevent heat from entering the rooms and reduce the energy required for cooling.

Johannes: Bosch's own product, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), will also be installed on the roof. When the facility opens in 2024, the SOFC system will be installed to demonstrate its capabilities, with a view to expand up to several hundred kW in 2026. When operating SOFC systems with city gas in Yokohama area, a 20% reduction of CO2 emissions and electricity costs, respectively, will be expected, compared to the power provided by a typical thermal power plant.

We are looking forward to the day when the new office building, with all of the above innovations, will be opened to many people, including new associates. It will be a workspace where associates can fully demonstrate their potential.

We also hope that it will be a place where everyone can play an active role in creating new and wonderful products. Sustainability is a very important theme for Bosch. We hope to contribute to society through better facility design.

The office is designed with a "tree" motif, and there are three areas on each floor.

Please tell us about the design concept for the interior of the new office.

Watanabe: Tsuzuki Ward has established a plan called the "Green Matrix System", which connects forests, waterfront areas, and historical heritage sites with greenways. In order to participate in this historic area, we have incorporated the natural element of "wood" into the design concept of our new office. The design changes depending on the floor.

Earth colors are used on the ground floor to express our desire to be rooted in the community. As you go upstairs, the intermediate floors are gradually filled with greenery, and finally the upper floors incorporate open tones like sky blue. We plan to create an office where the atmosphere changes from floor to floor even within the same office, creating a synergistic effect on people's thinking.

Each floor seems to be divided into areas. What is the intention behind this?

Watanabe: First of all, remote work has become a keyword in the world and in the way we work now. Bosch is also working to promote remote work among associates as part of its Smart Work System*.

When thinking about why associates come to the office under such circumstances, the important point is communication. Face-to-face collaboration between people can generate new ideas and enhance performance. For this reason, we created the plan with an eye to how we could activate communication in the new office.

* A system based on a hybrid work style of on-site and remote work at Bosch locations around the world, including in Japan, in which associates decide the optimal work style through discussions with team members.

Watanabe: There is a Communication Zone in the center where associates can easily gather and have conversations. However, since this is an R&D center, many engineers work here and it is important for each individual to concentrate and improve performance. Therefore, we also have set up an Individual Zone where associates can concentrate on their own work.

Watanabe: At the midpoint point between the Communication Zone and the Individual Zone, we have created a space called the Agile Zone. This is a space with movable furniture. This area allows us to change our working environment more flexibly in line with future changes.

Masakazu Kobayashi, as an engineer, what do you think about the division of areas in the new office?

Kobayashi: It is nice to have the Individual Zone when you want to concentrate on your work by yourself. I think I can work in a comfortable or relaxed way because there are two monitors on the desk, and the desk can be raised and lowered, which allows me to work in a way that suits my mood.

In addition, our work often requires reviews and brainstorming, and sometimes it is faster to get together and talk. In such a case, it seems that you can create a project room by flexibly changing the layout in the Agile Zone.

Open design to increase vertical as well as horizontal connections

You introduced us to the functions of each floor, but could you tell us about the vertical connection system, which connects floors to floors?

Watanabe: In order to promote communication, we thought that not only horizontal connections but also vertical connections were necessary. The Communication Zone is quite large. It is 170 meters long.

Since it is not easy to go up and down stairs in a closed space, we placed emphasis on making the staircase open in order to increase vertical connections. The design incorporates sunlight entering the staircase, which reflects the image of a vertical connection.

Does the vertical connection also have characteristics that are unique to a research and development facility?

Kobayashi: Yes, there are labs. There is a concept of a "heavy lab" and a "light lab", and the floor can be arranged appropriately according to the test content. It is designed so that we can proceed with development with a hands-on approach. We can flexibly use the labs according to the development process by carrying around a simple mobile measuring device called a "Tech-caddy". This makes the office an environment where the importance of a hands-on approach is also taken into consideration.

Also, since the office does not have walls, we can look out over a wide area, and I think it will be easier to interact with people from different departments. When we get stuck, we can go to the central Communication Zone and chat over a cup of coffee, and I expect that new communication will be born in the process.

It seems that there is also a balcony space. How will this be used?

Watanabe: The space can be used for both meetings and breaks. Rather than a full outside balcony, there are semi-private balconies with windows that open when the weather and climate are good. There are also tables set up like a conference room, so we can have a meeting when the weather is nice. As far as I know, there are not many places in office buildings where you can enjoy the natural breeze while having a meeting, so I think it is a unique point.

Online voting and ambassador activities to reflect feedback from associates about the new office

I think that construction is now steadily underway. How is feedback from associates being reflected?

Watanabe: Since we are building a new office, I believe that it is our role to promote the project to motivate associates to come to the office. In order to make it feel more familiar to associates, the interior design of the cafeteria was decided by online voting by associates.

Kobayashi: Sample panels were placed in each office. The panels were in a place that I could see when I came to work, so it was a good opportunity to stop and talk with people I do not usually interact with in my daily work.

Watanabe: The results were unexpected, so it was good that the associates could choose. I think that it motivates people to work in the company building that they made and were involved in, so we are considering having associates choose the furniture that will be installed in the future.

Since it is a large office with a wide range of business divisions, we are currently forming a team with ambassadors selected from each business division, and formulating plans.

Kobayashi: When I participated in the Ambassador Workshop as an ambassador the other day, the large turnout made me realize once again what a big project this is. I was also able to meet for the first time with people I had only spoken to online. After all, I think it is very important to meet people face to face, because it makes a big difference in the ease of talking to them. There will be regular ambassador workshops in the future, so I hope that I can continue to interact with many different people.

Watanabe: We would like to think of communication as our main focus in the future, and we hope that this ambassador activity will be a pioneering project that crosses business divisions.

We want to create the environment by bringing together input from associates who bring the new office to life

Please tell us your thoughts on the FUSION project from your respective standpoints.

Kobayashi: I am very happy to be involved in this project to build a new office that will serve as a center of communication for the Bosch Group in Japan. It is the actual workers who will bring the new office to life. Therefore, as an ambassador, I would like to summarize what I feel in my daily work, and discuss solutions with the members.

Watanabe: That is right. We want the new office to be a space where we can actively exchange opinions, so we would like to create an environment where people can immediately discuss any questions or concerns in order to achieve results.

I now have a good picture of the new office. I am looking forward to its completion.

If you are interested in Bosch after reading this interview, please watch the video. (Japanese language)

Click here for the video (Japanese language)