IT Energy Initiative and Bosch Announce Energy Collaboration

As part of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), MIT and Bosch, a leading global supplier of technology and services, have announced a new energy research collaboration aimed at exploring new materials and concepts for efficient energy-conversion and energy-storage systems.

With the collaboration, Bosch becomes a Sustaining Member of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), which was formally established in November 2006 to address global energy issues.

"We are extremely excited about this new collaboration with one of the world's truly unique corporations," said Professor Ernest Moniz, director of MITEI. "Bosch is both a diversified technology company and a major contributor to global humanitarian causes. Much of its technology development is focused on improving the environment. We hope that the pairing of Bosch's global reach and commitment with the expertise of MIT's faculty and researchers will help meet the world's energy and environmental challenges and contribute to a clean, affordable energy future."

As a Sustaining Member, Bosch will contribute five million dollars to MITEI over a five-year period which will fund a research portfolio at the Institute focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy research projects. In addition, Bosch will have a seat on the MITEI governing board. The board will have a significant influence on shaping the initiative's future research portfolio. As a Sustaining Member of MITEI, Bosch will support 10 "Bosch-MIT Energy Fellows," graduate students who will do research in various energy disciplines.

"The dedication of Bosch to sustainable growth, ecology, and a secure future is reflected in this collaboration with MIT," said Dr. Klaus Dieterich, president of the Bosch corporate sector Research and Advance Development. "We are glad to have this opportunity to support and collaborate with MITEI in shaping the future in such a crucial area. Through this collaboration, as well as at Bosch, we will accelerate the development and deployment of new technologies that address the ecological concerns of a global society."

The MITEI-Bosch collaboration will focus on three areas:

• The atomistic modeling and computational search for new materials in electrochemical energy storage and electromechanical actuation,
• Nano-structured thermoelectric materials for residential heat and electricity co-generation, and
• Ultra-efficient thin-film solar cells.

MITEI is an Institute-wide initiative at MIT designed to help transform the global energy system to meet the challenges of the future. The MIT Energy Initiative includes research, education, campus energy management and outreach activities, an interdisciplinary approach that covers all areas of energy supply and demand, security and environmental impact.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 271,000 associates generated sales of 46.3 billion euros (over $63 billion) in fiscal 2007. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in roughly 50 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3 billion euros for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering."

In North America, the Bosch Group manufactures and markets automotive original equipment and aftermarket products, industrial automation and mobile products, power tools and accessories, security technology, thermo-technology, packaging equipment and household appliances. Bosch employs approximately 25,000 associates in more than 70 locations throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico, with reported sales of $9.5 billion in fiscal 2007.

Source: MIT