In September, the Frankfurt delegation also visited Bosch Japan, whose headquarters were moved to Yokohama in 2024. The main focus of the visit was to learn about the relationship between the city of Yokohama and the company and to draw insights from this strong example of a public-private partnership.

Bosch Japan has been in operation since 1911. With ten manufacturing sites today and operations in four core business areas—Mobility, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology—Bosch Japan is one of the major players in the Japanese market.

Photo © Bosch Japan

From the company’s perspective, the new location opened up entirely new prospects. While there were only about 500 employees in Tokyo, Bosch now employs approximately 2,000 people in Yokohama—at significantly lower costs and with more room for growth. The proximity to renowned universities as well as innovative companies and startups creates ideal conditions for collaboration, talent acquisition, and technological advancement. Another key to success is the location’s open and international orientation. Bosch actively promotes job opportunities for women as well as English-speaking positions—aspects that are not a given in the Japanese job market. Yokohama’s cosmopolitan culture supports this approach.

For the city of Yokohama, securing these high-quality jobs is a major benefit, but the connection goes far beyond that. A particular highlight of the new headquarters is the integrated community center. It serves not only as a gathering place for residents but also as a platform for direct exchange between Bosch and the community. This fosters the joint development of ideas for sustainable and forward-looking products—in line with Bosch’s commitment to people and the environment. The delegation was able to see this for themselves during their tour of the headquarters and their discussion with Bosch.