Miskolc – Robert Bosch Energy and Body Systems Kft. of Miskolc has signed an agreement with the University of Miskolc to set up the Bosch Lean Academy. The agreement was signed by Prof. Dr András Torma, Rector of Miskolc University, Prof. Dr György Kocziszky, Teacher of Miskolc University and from the Bosch automotive components plant in Miskolc, Dr Max Nitzsche, Plant Manager, and Uwe Mang, Commercial Plant Manager. The Bosch Lean Academy will extend dual, practice-oriented training, hitherto only found in secondary education, into the higher educational sphere. Bosch and Miskolc University are also collaborating with the chief lean-management organisation, Lean Enterprise Institute, Hungary.
Lean is a corporate organisation and management system aimed at enabling companies to deliver products and services as economically as possible. A lean company basically arranges its activities on the basis of what represents value for the customer. It is in the automotive industry that the lean technique is most widespread, and it still spreading. Bosch has been involved in this process for many years, and this new agreement will mean that students will be armed with up-to-date lean skills before they come out of university.
“Bosch has been supporting engineering education in Hungary for many years and Miskolc University has been involved in this. The new collaboration agreement makes use of the fact that the university is strong in engineering research and teaching, and Bosch has great experience in the practical application of research findings and technical knowledge,” said Dr Max Nitzsche, the Plant Manager before the signing.
“We are joining forces with the university to provide students at the Bosch Lean Academy with thorough knowledge and applicable practical skills. We have a stated interest in recruiting new graduates who have theoretical as well as practical competence, so that they can from their start in our company support our lean journey” said Uwe Mang, Commercial Plant Manager.
Teaching and developing practical skills in the lean management field will start with a pilot masters course in the Economics Faculty of the University of Miskolc in September 2014. The launch of a full lean management masters course in the university is envisaged – following accreditation.
In addition to its agreement with Miskolc University, Robert Bosch Energy and Body Systems Kft. has signed an agreement with the Hungarian office of the Lean Enterprise Institute. Students on the lean course, and later the lean masters course, will be taught at Miskolc University, where Bosch staff already give regular lectures. Then they will go on simulation exercises in corporate teaching rooms provided by Robert Bosch Energy and Body Systems Kft. At that stage they will be working on exercises under “laboratory conditions” without any commercial risks, and then they will proceed to solve issues in real, value-adding projects in the Bosch plant in Miskolc. There, a mentor team of technical departmental heads and company staff will be on hand to assist the students.
Mónika Hack
+36 70 510 5516
Bosch has been present in Hungary since 1899. After its re-establishment as a regional trading company in 1991, Bosch has grown into one of Hungary’s largest foreign industrial employers. In financial 2013, its 10 Hungarian subsidiaries then had a total turnover of HUF 719 billion and sales of the Bosch Group on the Hungarian market – not counting trade among its own companies – was HUF 161 billion The Bosch Group in Hungary employed more than 8 900 people at the beginning of 2014. In addition to its manufacturing, commercial and development business, Bosch has a network of sales and service operations that covers the entire country.
The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In 2013, its roughly 281,000 associates generated sales of 46.1 billion euros. (NB: Due to a change in accounting policies, the 2013 figures can only be compared to a limited extent with the 2012 figures). Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Automotive Technology, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 360 subsidiaries and regional companies in some 50 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2013, the Bosch Group invested some 4.5 billion euros in research and development and applied for some 5,000 patents. This is an average of 20 patents per day. The Bosch Group’s products and services are designed to fascinate, and to improve the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. In this way, the company offers technology worldwide that is “Invented for life.”
Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.hu