By Shubhangi Chowdhury
Bosch CEO Stefan Hartung warns that Europe would be losing its lead in AI through excessive legislation compared with other parts of the world. The German-based company plans to invest an additional $2.90 billion by the end of 2027 in the AI field.
“Europe is unnecessarily delaying its AI future with excessive regulation,” said Hartung at a tech conference Bosch is hosting in the southwestern city of Stuttgart.
READ: OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle to invest $500 billion in AI data centers under Trump (January 22, 2025)
While the German tech company currently holds the most AI patents in Europe, Bosch is looking forward to strengthening its position in the US market. “No one understands the requirements and needs of the automotive industry as comprehensively as Bosch,” says Paul Thomas, president of Bosch in North America, at CES 2025. “With our mobility-specific software expertise, we’re the ideal partner for the world’s major tech players.”
Bosch is strategic on its commitment to the U.S. market with targeted investments that strengthen its global footprint. One of the most significant moves recently is Bosch’s plan to acquire Johnson Controls’ global HVAC business for residential and small commercial buildings—a step that not only expands its U.S. presence but also positions it as a more influential player in sustainable and smart building technologies. The company announced it through a press release earlier, stating “ Over the next few years, Bosch wants to invest more than 1.9 billion dollars (some 1.8 billion euros) in the Roseville location and start delivering silicon carbide chips from California in 2026.” “The enormous investments in the heating and chip businesses underline the strategic importance of the U.S. market for Bosch,” Thomas says.
This expansion isn’t happening in a vacuum. It aligns closely with the broader momentum in the U.S. under Donald Trump’s renewed focus on the AI race. In January, President Trump announced a massive $500 billion private sector push to build out America’s AI infrastructure. The EU responded with its own plan, aiming to mobilize up to €200 billion, but the U.S. is moving faster, and Bosch is clearly leaning into that.
By investing in sectors tied to energy efficiency, smart mobility, and AI-driven systems, Bosch is signaling that it wants to be part of the innovation leadership that’s rapidly taking shape in the U.S.
“Almost 5,000 Bosch AI specialists are now working on intelligent solutions. Bosch is offering tailored courses to consistently drive forward the training of its entire workforce in the field of AI. To date, the company’s own AI Academy has trained more than 65,000 associates” mentioned in the press released shared on their site earlier this year.
READ: Trump appoints Sriram Krishnan as senior AI policy advisor (December 23, 2024)
With this core focus on AI investments, Hartung called on European policymakers to confine regulation to a framework that addresses only the most critical issues. “We will regulate ourselves to death, because we are trying to regulate against technological progress,” he warns emphasizing that lawmakers should focus solely on the most essential issues.