Software from Bosch running over the internet? Well, this is probably not your first association that you have when you see the Bosch logo on home appliances, power tools, automotive or security products. In an interview during CeBIT 2013, my colleague Steffen Schmickler explains why software and the internet are important for Bosch: It’s about today’s business and about even more opportunities in the future. Are you ready to join us in the Internet of Things #IoT?

Springboard is a UK-based start-up incubator that combines investment capital with an intensive 13 week mentor-led accelerator program. The program ends with an investor day where the teams present their propositions to an audience of angel investors and venture capitalists. Springboard provides fantastic office spaces at the Google Campus in London and ideaSpace in Cambridge and seeds capital – over $150k of free services. More important is the Springboard network of over 100 experienced entrepreneurs and investors throughout the IoT program plus access to a wider network of mentors and partners.

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Welcome back. This post continues the first part of my trip to Wuxi, China.

Sino-EU IoT Symposium, Sensing China Center, Wuxi, China

Attending the Sino-EU IoT Symposium, Sensing China Center, Wuxi

Rob van Kranenburg  (IoT Council) and Sammy Shen (Sensing China Center) prepared a small and private exchange “From Smart to Wise Life” about IoT on October 26, 2012. At least the European team with Rob van Kranenburg, Alex Bassi  (Technical Coordinator of IoT-A), Sebastian Lange (Coordinator IoT-A), Jianguo Wang (Bosch Software Innovations China) and I thought so. When we arrived at the Sensing China Center, we already saw a big sign “Sino-EU IoT Symposium”. As we entered the room we were introduced to Karl Ma, Vice Director Secretary of Sensing China Center and also associate of the well established IoT Wuxi company wsb. With him, there was a room full of participants from the IoT industry in Wuxi. Rob started his presentation about “IoT and neighborhoods” with several beautiful new pictures. I gave an outline about Bosch’s strategy in IoT and shared some examples. Particularly, the telemedicine example has drawn a lot of interest from the audience. The Chinese presentations included George Guan, the CEO of the Wuxi smart home company Jillion, and a further presentation about open data in government and cities. The lunch discussion afterwards focused on the need of business model development for IoT companies. Overall, I was able to capture the Chinese thinking of IoT in this meeting, which will give an important input to our strategy in China.

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Wuxi downtown at night.
Source: www.outsourcingbiz.com.my/topics/Wuxi-IOT.htm

Internet of Things 物联网 in China is a hot topic. And Wuxi is the Chinese hot spot for IoT related activities. You don’t know Wuxi? Wuxi has “just” a population of more than 6 million, growing about 1 million per year, has more than 3,000 years of history, is located at the ancient Grand Canal, the longest channel worldwide, and is only 45 minutes by train north west of Shanghai.

The city has been named the “Sensing China Center” in 2008 – and this has an interesting story. Here are some rumors that I heard during my visit: It all started with the fast industrialization of the rich Wuxi area in the 1990s. In 2007, China’s third largest beautiful freshwater Lake Tai was polluted by industry and people. Algae bloom and bacteria were so heavy that the Chinese government called the lake a major natural disaster. In order to control the cleaning of the lake, which involved the shutdown of several hundred factories and removal of the leaver harming algae from boats, the authorities installed a sensor network that measured water quality. Due to the success of this approach Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao proposed during a visit in Wuxi that the “Sensing China Center”should be established in Wuxi. In the opening ceremony on August 7, 2010, he called for the rapid development of Internet of Things technologies: “Internet + Internet of Things = Wisdom of the Earth”. Read more…

Today, I would like to share my impressions from the Umsetzungsforum Industrie 4.0, which took place ten days ago at the Produktionstechnisches Zentrum Berlin. The event was organized and hosted by Prof. Dr. Henning Kagermann, President of the acatech working group, and Dr. Siegfried Dais, Co-President  of the acatech working group and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Management at Robert Bosch GmbH. Many well-known figures from the political and economic scene were also in attendance. The impressive building was a great platform to foster the discussion and reflection about the next revolution in production. Read more…

The Internet of Things & Services is a major driver for technological development and will dramatically change products, services, and markets. It not only empowers people to collaborate, but any product or service developed by people — or those emerging from such collaboration. The technology will definitely change business, but the social implications will change our society beyond our wildest dreams.

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Yes, among others …

In May 2012, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, a green political foundation focusing on ecology, democracy, and human rights invited thought leaders from economy, academia, associations and politics to take part in the international conference “Innovations for the Ecological Turnaround”. The participants, just to mention a few, were the German Green Party, acatech, Bosch Software Innovations, TU Berlin, LMU Munich and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence. The center of discussion: What is the masterplan for research, science and economy to foster ecological innovation for a green economy?

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The Internet of Things and Services is a smarter web, enabling better ways to share information not only for computers and those who are able to operate them, but also information about the most common things of our daily lifes. The service part of the internet of things and services is where technology and business meet and hence build the basis for new disruptive business models. Let me introduce you to different perspectives you can have on future internet scenarios.

Comments or questions? You are very welcome to share your thoughts below.

Direct link to the video "Industry 4.0 - The Technological Revolution continues!"

Industry 4.0 is paving the way for a social and technological revolution that will drastically change the entire industrial landscape. Why 4.0? As since the 18^th century, when the first Industrial Revolution began, it is the fourth wave of major technological changes. There is brand new video footage available from the German Engineering Association VDMA featuring different Industry 4.0 projects of players such as the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, Bosch, SAP, Siemens as well as Wittenstein. What this video shows: Industry 4.0 is a sophisticated approach changing the entire global value chain: communication, planning, logistics and production. Read more…

Today, we proudly launch our blog under a new title and a refreshed design: “Blogging Internet of Things – Technology inspiring a connected life” reflects the Bosch Software Innovations strategy. For us the Internet of Things & Services, Web 3.0, m2m, or cyber physical systems are much more than just buzzwords for the outlook of connecting 50 billion devices by 2015. It is a chance and a challenge to bring the internet and physical world closer to each other. We understand the Internet of Things & Services along four dimensions:

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