We regularly check our strategic alignment in constructive dialogue with our executives – an approach that also serves to bolster our corporate culture. One stakeholder to whom we are particularly committed is the Bosch family. Our close relationship with the family keeps the legacy of our company founder alive and is part of our corporate culture. We attach equal importance to discussion with other groups inside and outside the company. In addition to our owners, these groups include our customers, our associates, employee representatives and unions, our suppliers, municipal authorities at our roughly 292 locations around the world, research institutes, NGO’s, and initiatives of which we are a member.
As the world’s leading automotive supplier, we cultivate close relationships with our customers. Car makers are informed early on of our development projects and are integrated as fully as possible into our development processes. We aim to establish long-term, fair partnerships. Therefore, our regular customer surveys are an important yardstick for determining our competitiveness.
In addition to our role as an employer and contractor, we are also committed to being a “responsible neighbor.” After all, the name “Bosch” stands for responsibility and environmental awareness worldwide, and thus for a commitment that applies to every one of our locations, regardless of whether they have a workforce of 50 or 5,000. As a technology company, intensive knowledge-sharing with science and research communities is crucial to our development. In 2007, we registered more patents – 14 per working day – than any other company in Germany. In Europe, we are ranked seventh overall, and take fifth place in terms of published patent applications at the World Intellectual Property Organization.
