STUTTGART and MOSCOW The Bosch Group has announced plans to establish a new manufacturing site for automotive technology in Samara, Russia. By 2015, the supplier of technology and services will invest some 40 million euros in the new location. The buildings constructed in this phase will cover some 15,000 square meters of floor space, and include manufacturing, administration, warehousing, technical infrastructure and a cafeteria. The site itself covers a total of some 200,000 square meters.
Construction work is set to start in the first half of 2013. Bosch plans to employ more than 500 associates in Samara by the end of 2017. The operations of three divisions will be located at the new site: Chassis Systems Control, Starter Motors and Generators, and Diesel Systems. The company will manufacture automotive technology such as antilock braking systems and alternators, mainly for local customers. These products will later be joined by starters and common-rail injectors for commercial vehicles, Bosch added.
Bosch says the expansion into Russia is part of the company’s strategy to further expand its global presence.
"For Bosch, Russia is an important growth market," said Gerhard Pfeifer, the president of the Russian regional company. "In establishing a further local manufacturing site, we can make better use of the opportunities the Russian market offers, and thus extend our presence in Eastern Europe. In addition, since it is located in the southern European part of Russia, Samara is a perfect base from which to serve our local customers.”
Bosch has been present in Russia since 1904. Russia was one of the first countries outside Germany in which a sales organization for the company was established. Today, the Bosch Group manufactures power tools, auto parts, gasoline systems, packaging technology, and household appliances at locations in Engels, Tolyatti, and St. Petersburg. Following Engels, Samara will be the second Bosch plant to manufacture automotive technology in Russia.