Bosch Research and Technology Center and Akustica optimize resources on Pittsburgh’s South Side

PITTSBURGH, USA: Enhancing efficiencies and synergies, associates of the Bosch Research Technology Center (RTC) in Pittsburgh, relocated to the city’s South Side to join Akustica, a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) spin-off that was acquired by Bosch in late 2009. The two companies now occupy the top two floors (approximately 21,000 sq. ft.) in Building One of the SouthSide Works. Nearly 50 Bosch associates are housed there, working primarily in hardware and software engineering.

The move enables Bosch to optimize usage of its facility in the revitalized South Side area of the city, as well as to promote further technological collaboration between the co-located entities. Established on the city’s North Side in 1999, Bosch RTC in Pittsburgh focuses on software engineering, Internet technologies and advanced signal processing to create new value-added services and products for all Bosch divisions. Akustica, makers of the world’s smallest and only single-chip MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) microphones, was founded in Pittsburgh in 2001 and has been located at the SouthSide Works since 2004.

“For more than two decades, Bosch has benefited from our collaborations and investment in Pittsburgh. With world-class universities attracting top technological minds, Pittsburgh is a region with a wealth of engineering talent,” said Peter Marks, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Robert Bosch LLC. “With the co-location of Bosch RTC and Akustica, we further leverage our local investment. As we celebrate the Bosch Group’s 125th anniversary this year, we look forward to continuing our relationships with Pittsburgh’s academic and commercial partners, who play an important role in the city’s renaissance.”

Close ties with CMU
Bosch RTC and Akustica are just two of the many connections that Bosch has to the city. Bosch’s first tie to Pittsburgh was the creation of the Carnegie Bosch Institute of Applied Studies in International Management. A unique alliance between Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Bosch, the Institute was formed to improve international management and its impact on leadership by enhancing the knowledge of executives in global operations; supporting relevant academic research in the field; and encouraging global partnerships among corporate, foundation and academic partners. The Institute was established as part of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon in 1990 through a major endowment from Bosch.

Bosch’s connection to CMU extends beyond the formation and continued endowment of the Carnegie Bosch Institute into the depths of the university’s research labs: “The Carnegie Bosch Institute exemplifies the fruits of our longstanding collaboration with Bosch—but it is by no means the only example,” said Richard McCullough, vice president of research at CMU. “In 1999, Bosch funded its first research project at CMU within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. A decade later, Bosch acquired Akustica, to commercialize MEMS microphones using some of the same technology initially developed under that first research agreement with Bosch.”

Today, there are many joint research initiatives between the Research and Technology Center of Bosch and CMU across a wide field of topics including: “green” building techniques; the creation of novel sensing technologies for increased safety and energy efficiency in the home; and the development of advanced methodologies for cybersecurity with CMU’s CyLab, one of the largest university-based cybersecurity education and research centers in the US.

“We consider CMU one of the top universities in the world and are very pleased to collaborate that closely on so many programs,” stated Horst Muenzel, regional president of the Bosch RTC in North America.

Other interests in Pittsburgh
In March 2010, Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC), the venture arm of Bosch, extended its reach into another Pittsburgh company by investing $5 million in Aethon Inc., a leading provider of mobile robotics for hospital supply-chain logistics.

“Bosch is a strong stakeholder in Pittsburgh's future. The company’s investment has been longstanding, encompassing innovation in both academic and commercial enterprises,” said Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and general manager, Akustica. “Bosch has also made a human investment in Pittsburgh. Together, Akustica and Bosch RTC plan to grow by more 25 percent in 2011, contributing to the city’s economic development in a significant way.”

In view of Bosch’s sustained activities in Pittsburgh, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl offered comment: “Bosch has created and supported meaningful entities that employ highly skilled engineers trained in all of Pittsburgh’s universities. What’s more, they continue to invest in both promising and proven companies in our area. Bosch’s partnership is integral to Pittsburgh’s evolution as a technology leader in the US and throughout the world.”