Reason for Choosing Kanagawa for the New Head Office

Since we started our business in Japan, we have grown our physical presence alongside our business growth with a focus around Tokyo and Yokohama. Prior to the construction of the new head office, we had our own buildings and rented offices scattered around the area, which we felt we needed to rebalance optimally from the perspective of real estate facility management.

In recent years, the automotive industry has been undergoing a once-in-a-century transformation, including changing trends in automotive development, such as electrification, automation, and software-defined vehicles. In order to maintain our business while boosting competitiveness in the face of these changes, we have come to believe that it is essential to bring all employees together to promote collaboration and cooperation among business units and to strengthen our domestic R&D structure.

Still, it was challenging to find an attractive large plot of land in the Tokyo metropolitan area; it would take several years to select a location. In the midst of all this, we learned that Yokohama City was soliciting applicants for the use of city-owned land in the vicinity of an existing Bosch R&D facility, on the condition that the land be used for the development of a ward culture center, and we decided to apply for the project. In 2018, we were selected as a participating business operator for the Project for Utilization of Land Planned for Development of Ward Culture Centers, etc. in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City, and our new head office has been in operation since May 2024. By consolidating employees from eight domestic locations into the new head office, together with the existing R&D site located two kilometers away, we aim to bring employees together in the same Tsuzuki Ward and promote collaborative cooperation among business units. The Tsuzuki Ward Culture Center (nicknamed Bosch Hall) is scheduled to open in March 2025.

As a Global Company Founded in Germany, Benefits of Having a Japanese head office in Kanagawa

Yokohama City is where Bosch first established its Japanese subsidiary, and we felt a sense of affinity with the city. With its strong ties to Western culture as a place where Japan opened to the rest of the world, Yokohama is well known around the world and is instantly recognized by executives at the German head office. It is also appealing that the area enjoys easy access to the bullet train, airports, and more.

In addition, the city's Tsuzuki Ward is a spacious area with abundant greenery, and in the evenings, families can be seen pushing baby strollers or leisurely taking a stroll with their dogs. There is also the Deutsche Schule Tokyo Yokohama and a non-profit organization that helps to build multiculturalism. We felt that it is important for a European company to provide an environment where each employee can lead a fulfilling life, not only for economic rationality, but also as a human being with diverse roles, like as a parent, a family member, and a local resident.

It was also a significant advantage that we could utilize Select Kanagawa NEXT's subsidy programs and an ordinance by the City of Yokohama for stimulating the establishment of new business locations. This was a major boost in reaching an agreement to build our new head office. When considering multiple candidate sites, subsidies and other incentives increase the evaluation of a given site. It was also highly appreciated by our head office in Germany as proof of the municipality's welcoming attitude.

Potential for Regional Collaboration and Future Business Prospects

The fact that Bosch Hall is written in katakana at the Tsuzuki Ward Culture Center seems to be recognized by the younger generation, like elementary and junior high school students in the ward who have said they recognize the company. At this stage, we are unable to quantify the potential of this project, but we realize the significance of having created a place where people can experience our culture through a public-private partnership, thereby gaining a clear presence over the medium to long term. I also feel a growing sense of ownership among employees toward contributing to the local community. Although the Bosch Group has its own buildings around the world, this marks the first time a public-private partnership project. This is attracting attention as a new model for company buildings from the German head office and other locations around the world, serving as a model case going forward.

In order to contribute to the community by making the new head office a more open place, we concluded a comprehensive partnership agreement to invigorate the local community with Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City, under which we named the entire site Bosch Forum Tsuzuki. In the future, we plan to hold events including those at the site's plaza in cooperation with Tsuzuki Ward and designated managers of Bosch Hall. As one of the measures to foster a livelier community and increase brand recognition, we opened café 1886 at Bosch, available for use by the public. The menu includes items connected to our corporate home country of Germany, and a wide range of Bosch products, including Bosch auto parts and power tools, are on display in the café. We hope to provide an opportunity to deepen understanding of the auto parts business, which often does not fully reach the public, through the familiar space offered by the café. In the future, a portion of the meeting rooms will be available for rent to the public for a fee, allowing residents to use the facility as a base for community activities. Through these efforts, we aim to create an attractive facility that will pique the interests of residents, inspiring them to invite their family and friends to visit. In the long term, we hope to develop this center into a source of pride for Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and even Japan as a whole.