German megasupplier Bosch reiterated its commitment to sustainability Monday and said it was placing its bets on "AIoT," a combination of artificial intelligence and connected technology, to help protect people and the environment.
"Bosch is counting on AIoT, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by data, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things to benefit people and the environment with technical solutions," the company said in a news release at the virtual CES show.
Leading up to the show, the company introduced the leadership team for its new Cross-Domain Computing Solutions unit, which pulls the software and electronics expertise of 17,000 Bosch engineers globally under one umbrella.
Cross-Domain Computing Solutions will boost Bosch's work on automated driving, driver assistance and computing functions, and it will be a "big help for us in the overall development and deployment of this technology," said Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch North America, in a media question-and-answer session after a CES news conference.
Tim Frasier will oversee North American operations as regional president and lead the Advanced Network Solutions business of the unit. Frasier most recently was regional president of Automotive Electronics for Bosch in North America.
Kay Stepper will lead system engineering as senior vice president as well as head the Automated Driving and Driver Assistance business. Stepper was previously head of the regional business unit Driver Assistance and Automated Driving at Bosch in North America and senior vice president of engineering for the Chassis System Control division.
Stefan Buerkle will lead sales as senior vice president as well as head Connected Information Solutions. Buerkle takes the role after most recently serving as regional president of car multimedia for Bosch in North America.
Mansuetti said electrification will continue to be a big focus for Bosch this year, largely dictated by consumer behavior and infrastructure, which "will definitely have a role to play in how long the internal combustion engine will live."
On the sustainability front, Bosch executives said at CES that the company hopes to reduce emissions along its entire value chain by 15 percent by 2030. Bosch said it achieved internal carbon neutrality worldwide last year.
Bosch is expected to speak more on sustainability during a session Wednesday.
The company also discussed nonautomotive-related technologies for health, including a self-learning AI sensor for wearable and hearable fitness tracking, during the conference.
Bosch ranks No. 1 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 global suppliers, with worldwide parts sales to automakers of $46.56 billion in 2019.
