Giant multi-profile German company Bosch decided to tell about its work to grateful Caucasian consumers by arranging a press briefing in Tbilisi for Georgian and foreign journalists. Responsibility is an integral part of the style and marketing of this unique company, which earned world fame and prestige during 131 years of its work. It was founded by legendary engineer and entrepreneur Robert Bosch in 1886. Bosch has been operating in Russia since 1904, but Caucasus is relatively new, but very promising direction for the company. President of the Bosch Group in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Central Asia and the Caucasus Hansjürgen Overstolz and commercial director of Robert Bosch LTD in Georgia David Oker disscused company's activity in the region with journalists.
Overstolz cited figures that show the scale of Bosch's global activity. Its budget is tens times higher than the state budget and even the GDP of not only Georgia, but the entire South Caucasus. Today, Bosch has 440 subsidiaries in 120 countries of the world. There are more than 389 thousand employees. Over the past year, sales of Bosch products brought 73.1 billion euros. At the same time, the company spent just 7 billion on researches and new developments.
Directions that Bosch intends to work on, including in the South Caucasus, include mobile and industrial technologies, energy and construction devices, household appliances. Overstolz focused on creative technologies. In the coming years the company plans to increase sales and introduce new systems in the field of artificial intelligence, technical innovations, including systematization of household appliances using wireless internet with single control console, develop automobile industry, from smart cars to electric vehicles, as well as develop latest industrial technologies, including advanced construction equipment and accessories. Energy security and energy conservation are priorities.
In the best traditions of modern transnational companies, which value their credibility, Bosch plans to spend considerable money on researches in the field of medicine, to fight against cancer and implement large-scale environmental projects, for example.
Georgian journalists were ashamed to hear Overstolz's statement about air pollution. He said that he almost choked after opening a window in his hotel room: "I was surprised that there are no inspection in Georgia and any car, even if it terribly pollutes the air, can drive around the city." David Ocker noted that situation in neighboring Azerbaijan is fundamentally different.
Answering the question of Vestnik Kavkaza about how environmental issues affect how Bosch views different countries, Overstolz made it clear that for his company, ecology is part of the philosophy of "responsible business", which rewards not only profit, but also reputation of respectable player on the global scene.
Vestnik Kavkaza also asked about Bosch relations with the leader in the field of new technologies - Tesla. Overstolz replied that "Tesla is one of the largest consumers of German concern's products, and Bosch shares American partner's strategy of development of electric and fully autonomous cars market. People will just sit in cars like on the bus. It's not more dangerous than autopilot in an airplane, because most accidents are caused not by technology, but by human factor. Machines make less mistakes than people."
Speaking about the expansion of his company's activity in the South Caucasus, David Oker spoke about benefits of regional terminal built in Tbilisi, company's plans to develop not only home appliances market, but also construction technologies. After mentioning rapidly growing potential of the Azerbaijani market, Oker noted that close ties between the two South Caucasian countries contribute to successful work and development of Bosch throughout the region.
Vestnik Kavkaza asked Hansjürgen Overstolz what is the difference between the Georgian market and the markets of Russia and Azerbaijan. He answered diplomatically: "Bosch has been working in Russia for 113 years, and the markets of the South Caucasus have started to develop only recently. Therefore, we prefer to talk about cooperation at different speeds."
It seems that Bosch came to the Caucasus with German thoroughness and plans to implement creative projects, supporting the development of the South Caucasus countries and helping them join most progressive global processes in the field of new technologies and social mobility.
