The Minister of Economy Lachezar Borisov presented a Class A investment certificate under the Investment Promotion Act (IPA) to the Managing Directors of Bosch Engineering Center Sofia, Mr. Konstantin Konov and Mr. Thomas Metz. The Deputy Minister of Economy, Mr. Stamen Yanev, was also present at the gathering.
The certificate is given for the investment project “Establishment of BOS Engineering Center Sofia” in Sofia. The project of “Robert Bosch” Ltd. is for the construction of a software engineering center on the territory of “Sofia Tech Park” AD. The investment under the project amounts to BGN 8,729,000, and a total of 350 new jobs will be created for highly qualified specialists. The goal of Engineering Center Sofia (ECS) is to become a leading IT and software global provider of car manufacturers.
The certificate is given for the investment project “Establishment of BOS Engineering Center Sofia” in the city. Minister Borisov pointed out that our country is a leader in the region in terms of financial stability, economic development and development. He said that the investment of Robert Bosch GmbH, which is the world’s leading automotive supplier, is another proof that Bulgaria is an attractive investment destination, especially in the field of high technology and the automotive industry. „The software development for the future development of the automotive industry in Bulgaria is an occasion to attract new investors. In Bulgaria there are already over 250 companies related to the automotive sector, which is one of the industries that achieves the goals of sustainable development”, added Borisov. The Minister of Economy pointed out that for the implementation of the project, the investor has requested the use of incentive measures under the IPA, including financial support for training and partial reimbursement of the mandatory social security contributions made by the investor at his expense as an employer. Lachezar Borisov also said that the support is planned from the budget of the Ministry of Economy and added that they are working to create additional opportunities to support investors implementing projects important for the economy. According to him, these measures have an important anti-crisis effect in terms of helping investors to maintain and create new jobs, especially in times of crisis.
For his part, Konstantin Konov, Managing Director of Bosch Engineering Center Sofia, emphasized that today marks 1 year since the official opening of the Engineering Center. “During these months we have grown about 2 times and we have very serious plans to expand our investments in Bulgaria. We proved that we are not an outsourcing company, but that we have the potential and ambition to be the engine of the automotive industry”, he said, adding that “at Bosch Engineering Center Bulgarians create the cars of the future that will provide us with a safer and easier life on the road tomorrow. For us, this is not only a goal, but also a cause that unites us and moves us forward, “said Konstantin Konov.
Mr. Thomas Metz added that the Bosch brand has been known in Bulgaria for more than 25 years and has a positive attitude towards it in every aspect. “With Bosch Engineering Center Sofia we showed a new face of the company here – a leading engineering center for mobility in areas such as automated driving, connectivity, electric mobility and artificial intelligence. One thing is for sure – we will continue to invest in the development of innovative mobility solutions, as well as in the development of people and the team. We will continue to grow by attracting and training future talents, “he said.
The center develops software for the automotive industry mainly in three directions:
– Projects related to the construction of software platforms for the so-called central computer in the car.
– Projects related to autonomous car management. It is software that uses data from various sensors and, based on sophisticated algorithms, analyzes the traffic situation and decides to drive the car, replacing the driver.
– Projects related to the internal monitoring in the car during autonomous control. This software uses camera data inside the car through sophisticated behavioral algorithms to monitor the driver’s condition and readiness to take control if necessary.
