Diversification, Globalisation, Growth

Bosch has multiple anniversaries to celebrate in 2011: the Group's 125th anniversary, the 150th birthday of its founder, Robert Bosch, and - for the Packaging Technology division - 150 years of packaging history. FRIEDBERT KLEFENZ, president of Bosch Packaging Technology, highlights the company's 150 years of packaging experience, current and future challenges, and why he supports the 'Save Food' initiative.

As tough as it to summarise 150 years of product development, what to you are the most important milestones at Bosch?

It was for example the year 1911 when our history of food packaging innovation started. Back then [Friedrich] Hesser built the first fully automated packaging machine for coffee. Years later followed Bosch’s launch of the first-ever vacuum package, which already then increased the shelf life of oxygen-sensitive products to one and a half years. Today, we are still leading in this field.
More recent milestones from the 1980s include a first-of-its-kind continuous cooking system for hard candy and the Hypa-S technology that allowed fruit juice and baby formula to be aseptically sealed in carton packs with aluminium bases and lids. At this year's Interpack we revealed a streamlined system for the packaging of bar products, technology to produce two new chocolate pack styles for convenience and quality benefits, and Delta Robots with speeds reaching new levels. In fact, [Marc-Olivier] Demaurex developed the first Delta Robot before joining Bosch.

What is the key to Bosch's long-lasting business success?

 Most pivotal to our success has been the long-term partnerships with our customers, based on our capacity for innovation, technical competence and reliability. For decades, we simply try to keep promises, as we also express with our motto 'Packaged as Promised'. For decades we have literally been by our customers' side due to our strong worldwide presence, not just with sales and services, but also 31 production sites in 17 countries worldwide.

You've said previously that diversification is a crucial strategic focus. Isn't this counter intuitive, when other companies are consolidating their portfolio and focusing on core competences?

 Don't get me wrong – we also focus on what we do best and yes, we decided a long time ago to focus on providing solutions for two industries. Right from the beginning we went into the Food and Confectionery business and into the Pharmaceutical business. And we stayed. Both industries have enormous potential. In a few decades, the world’s population will reach nine billion people. Our company will be geared at supporting this development. And you will see, we will translate this market potential into concrete projects.

So your main challenge today is all about growth?

Let me say it this way – for us growth is a result of taking chances and successfully exploiting market potential. Size alone has no value without synergies. Growth brings huge opportunities, but also challenges. As an example, I am sure that we will cooperate even more closely throughout our global sites – also in the fields of R&D, sales and manufacturing – than it was probably necessary in the past.

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