Bosch Taiwan, the local unit of German engineering and electronics company Bosch Group, expects its sales to grow modestly this year after a 24 percent increase last year, as the global economic slowdown is weakening demand, managing director Jan Hollmann said yesterday.
“We have a promising future as there is still room for improvement in all our business sectors,” Hollmann told a media briefing in Taipei.
Consolidated revenue in the local market rose to a record NT$16.3 billion (US$516.69 million) last year, with the mobility solutions business making the biggest contribution, Hollmann said.
Driver assistance systems for the four-wheeler market posted significant growth, thanks to increasing demand, while Bosch’s microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors saw steady growth on the back of global demand, he said.
Bosch MEMS sensors are used in more than half of smartphones, as well as in millions of fitness trackers and smart home devices.
The company’s industrial technology wing registered double-digit growth due to robust demand from local industries, Hollmann added.
Bosch Rexroth, a subsidiary of the Bosch Group, was especially successful with its linear motion products for semiconductor testing and sorting applications, as well as for motion control products from traditional high-end printing machines, Hollmann said.
The unit is building the foundation to enhance its connected industry business, he added.
The consumer goods division also fared well, with household appliances delivering 14 percent growth thanks to increasing sales from online channels and new consumer experience centers in Kaohsiung and Taipei, the company said.
Meanwhile, the launch of a Bosch Go cordless screwdriver for the do-it-yourself market proved to be a great success in Taiwan, the company added.
The energy and building technology business unit achieved double-digit growth in sales, attributable to the use of video surveillance in industry and government organizations, he said.
Bosch is evolving from a traditional hardware company into a major Internet-of-Things (IoT) company and aims to promote IoT products and solutions in all business sectors in Taiwan, Holl-mann said.
The company has about 750 employees in Taiwan.
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