When Robert Bosch began his company in 1886, he revolutionized mobility with the magneto ignition. Since then, they have become the largest automotive supplier when it comes to mobility solutions and have maintained leadership in engineering. Now, with smart cities breaking through, Bosch is ahead of the curve again. When the Department of Transportation launched its Smart Cities Challenge, Bosch contributed plans for some of the seven finalist cities.
“We had the fortunate opportunity to meet with a lot of cities, have a lot of different interactions and discussions, and come up with solutions for various city proposals,” said Frank Sgambati, director of smart city development at Bosch.
Aside from its impact on the Challenge cities, Bosch focuses on four segments for creating connected solutions: security and safety, energy and buildings, e-governance, and mobility. Specifically, the company works with new developers to build smart, connected communities; but it also looks at retrofitting legacy areas where existing infrastructure needs improvements in efficiency or sustainability.
For example, Bosch is a technology partner of FivePoint for the Shipyard Communities and Candlestick Point area in San Francisco to help introduce smart solutions. The Smart Community app will empower citizens with real-time information in their area about bus and traffic connections, news and events, special offers, and even a community blog. City officials can interact with the community through the app and notify them of important information.
“We leave ourselves open to where cities are going, but we’re focused on security and safety, energy and buildings, e-governance, and mobility specifically,” said Sgambati. “Hopefully, by working with [cities] closely and partnering with them, we can lay out a future together.”
As bronze sponsors of the Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo, Bosch hopes to use its presence to interact with city officials and discuss solutions.
“We are focused on creating smarter communities and cities, leveraging our history and know-how with software, and providing solutions that are tailored toward cities,” Sgambati said.
Read more about Bosch’s influence on smart communities here and get to know them at the Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo event in June.
