Bosch-IISc pact to focus on environment, energy mobility

Bosch India, a leading supplier of technology and services, further enhanced its partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), through which, Bosch and the IISc will collaborate on India-centric requirements.

The signed MoU’s were exchanged between Bosch and IISc in the presence of the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi.

Commenting on the development, Dr Steffen Berns, president of Bosch Group in India, said, “Based on this MoU, we intend to develop solutions that address key India-centric requirements. Innovation has always been a special strength of Bosch. This partnership between industry and academia further enforces our ties with IISc and underlines our commitment towards local innovations, according to our slogan ‘Invented for life’. We expect to see positive results as we collaborate in research on areas of strategic interest, such as mobility, healthcare, energy and water.”

While the MoU was signed on October 28, 2015, the exchange before the President of India took place on November 4.

Professor Anurag Kumar, Director, IISc said, “Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems at the IISc has helped define a trail for industry-academia collaboration. With the MoU sign-off, we look to engage in deeper research that will improve the quality of life in totality.”

In May 2011, the Bosch Group announced investments totalling Rs 300 crore to provide support for universities and research projects in Germany, China, India, and the US over a 10-year period, as part of its global initiative ‘Bosch InterCampus Programme’.

Lasting improvements
The programme aims to achieve lasting improvements in research conditions for undergraduates and scientists in the university sphere.

Approximately, Rs 115 crore (22 mio euro) were allotted to India to accelerate progress in highly promising fields like environmental protection, energy, and mobility. The Robert Bosch Centre for Cyber Physical Systems was set up at the IISc with this grant and is currently in its fourth year.

Commenting on the signing of the new MoU, Vijay Ratnaparkhe, president, Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions, said, “These partnerships symbolise Bosch’s innovation focus in India. It will increase our problem-solving capabilities, and at the same time, the collaboration will result in sharing our learnings for the benefit of society. I believe it is  essential for the growth of innovation in India.”