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Society

Acting as a corporate citizen

Robert Bosch

Never forget your humanity, and respect human dignity in your dealings with others.

Robert Bosch, 1920

Taking responsibility – beyond corporate boundaries

We see ourselves as a corporate citizen and take an active stance in society also beyond the scope of our own business activities. With our donations, we primarily support initiatives in the following areas:

Living sustainably:

citizen projects promoting climate action in everyday life

Education for the high-tech world:

projects to develop socially disadvantaged children and young people’s skills for technological change

Social cohesion:

projects strengthening democracy and tolerance, especially at Bosch locations

Emergency aid in disaster situations:

donations to aid organizations and people on the ground, especially when catchment areas around Bosch sites are affected

26.6 million euros

In the year 2023, the Bosch Group donated 26.6 million euros worldwide to charitable purposes.

Global commitment

In several countries, Bosch’s regional companies have established dedicated institutions tasked with distributing donations. These entities are organized as national public-benefit institutions. Specifically, the institutions are as follows:

Special Ownership Structure

The majority of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The Foundation is rooted in the legacy of Robert Bosch. In his legacy, the entrepreneur and founder formulated the dual mission of securing the company's future and continuing his social commitment.

Robert Bosch Stiftung

Robert Bosch Stiftung

The Robert Bosch Stiftung is active in the areas of health, education, and global issues. Through its funding, it works for a just and sustainable future. The Foundation is non-profit, independent and non-partisan.

Today, around 170 people are employed at its Stuttgart and Berlin offices. The Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH maintains its own facilities, develops innovative projects, and provides support at both the international and local level. It is active in Germany and Europe, in the Middle East, and in selected regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. The Foundation contributes findings from the projects it funds to the professional world and public debate.

The Foundation is the sponsor of the Bosch Health Campus in Stuttgart. This includes the Robert Bosch Hospital, the Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, the Robert Bosch Center for Tumor Diseases, and the Robert Bosch Center for Innovative Health. The Robert Bosch Stiftung is also a shareholder in an international school in Freiburg, the Robert Bosch College UWC, and the International Alumni Center (iac) in Berlin.

The Foundation holds around 94 percent of the shares in Robert Bosch GmbH and is financed by its dividends. As a charitable foundation, it does not have any entrepreneurial activities. It has transferred the voting rights of the shares to Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG. Since its establishment in 1964, the Robert Bosch Stiftung has spent around 2.3 billion euros on its charitable work.

Political lobbying and dialogue with stakeholders

As a supplier of technology with global operations, we believe it is our responsibility to put our technology expertise to work for the common good and to demonstrate specific solutions to current challenges in society. With this in mind, we help shape opinions at a government policy level, for example in associations and in various social forums. This commitment is driven by our “Invented for life” ambition.

Transparency as a matter of principle

Transparency is a central principle for the political lobbying of Bosch’s interests. Consistent with this understanding, the company is registered in the relevant transparency registers worldwide, including in the United States, in Germany, or at European Union level. Depending on the respective legislation, the entries represent the scope and content of political advocacy.

Bosch is registered in the relevant transparency registers under the following identification numbers:

German Lobby Registry:

  • Robert Bosch GmbH: R000999
  • Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH: R003224
  • Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH: R004462

EU Transparency Register:

  • Robert Bosch GmbH: 8999533555-91
  • Bosch Thermotechnology GmbH: 269619148071-01
  • BSH Hausgeräte GmbH: 416456120129-02

USA Lobbying Disclosure:

  • Robert Bosch LLC: Senate ID# 40008054-12; House ID# 401320000

Priority topics and activities

Owing to its expertise in technologies of the future, such as artificial intelligence, electrification, hydrogen, and connected, automated driving, Bosch is a sought-after partner and thought leader in the policymaking process. We are in favor of standards that are both ambitious and as consistent as possible. For instance, we believe supranational legislation at EU level is preferable to having a large number of national requirements — also in view of its potential to serve as a global benchmark.

Interior shot: an employee standing in an office, in the background an H2 symbol

Our political lobbying activities aim to identify discussions and developments on political regulations and initiatives early on, which can affect our products, our company locations, or our business operations in general. As a rule, the Bosch Group supports policy frameworks that are conducive to innovation, and endeavors to find possible solutions for the challenges facing society.

Our aim is to contribute to the relevant topics by taking a stand on issues such as technical feasibility and impact on society. We also want to do justice in this regard to the complete spectrum of requirements of our stakeholders. We are committed to remaining politically neutral.

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Euro 7

Political position on pollutant standards for passenger cars and commercial vehicles

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CO₂ Regulation HDV

Political position on the revision of regulation on CO₂ emission standards for Heavy-Duty vehicles (HDV)

Active stakeholder dialogue

By means of topic-specific events, we seek to engage in dialogue with policymakers, NGOs, and interested members of the general public. Back in 2019, we launched a new stakeholder dialogue series for this purpose, which has since become an established format for exchange, transparency, and the joint search for solutions.

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