Bosch to bring in ‘multitude’ of businesses to PH

Global technology and services supplier Bosch is looking to bring in a “multitude” of businesses into the Philippines, in line with the company’s plan to expand its current portfolio as it nears its 100 years of presence in the country.

According to Bosch Philippines president and managing director Paulo Duarte, the company is looking to widen its footprint through expanding its portfolio and bringing in more offerings, as the company is set to celebrate 100 years of presence in the Philippines in 2026.

“We have a multitude of businesses that we want to push and we want to bring to the Philippines,” he said in an interview in the company’s office in Taguig City.

One of the businesses Bosch Philippines is looking at for its expansion is its automotive servicing unit, integrating mechatronics with artificial intelligence to advance manufacturing. It is also looking at opportunities in the mobility ecospace, specifically in the electric vehicle space.

Duarte said Bosch Philippines plans to grow the visibility of its household appliances in the country, along with its “digital twin” service which allows equipment to be interconnected with software and allowing the firm to make a more efficient evaluation of hardware maintenance.

Among the equipment that could be catered to under the “digital twin” service are industrial tools such as conveyors and cranes in the construction sector, and others in the maritime sector.

The company also plans to expand its business process outsourcing (BPO) unit which now has 318 employees, 22 of whom focus on automation. Bosch initially established its BPO unit to service its own business operations, but plans are now underway to expand this to cater to outside firms.

“We would like to promote this also to external clients. We are in contact with multiple partners on that area,” Duarte said, but declined to elaborate on possible partnerships moving forward.

“The idea is to expand. We use our own activities around these processes, learn what we can improve for Bosch, and what is being improved or automated for Bosch to experience, (and share our) experience and know-how externally,” he said.

Duarte said driving the optimism is the country’s continuous economic growth. The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee expects the gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 6.0% to 7.0% this year, with the expansion recorded at 6.3% in the second quarter.

“I’m known to be quite optimistic and I remain optimistic. I think there’s still quite a lot to be done, but the Philippine economy’s consistently growing at a positive pace compared to its peers in the region,” he said.

“The country’s KPIs in terms of GDP growth, controlled inflation, and low (un)employment rate are positive. The potential to grow further is there,” he added.

Inflation clocked in at 1.9% in September, the slowest in over four years. The number of jobless Filipinos stood at 2.21 million in August, bringing the unemployment rate to 4.4%.—AOL, GMA Integrated News