Jun 12 2015
Ten years after its foundation as a start-up, Bosch Sensortec has achieved the position of the leading global provider of innovative MEMS-based sensors and solutions in the consumer electronics market. Its products enable new applications and innovative solutions across consumer electronics, as well as in areas such as wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT).
MEMS sensors as building blocks for the connected world: this image from a scanning electron microscope shows the finely etched silicon structures of a Bosch acceleration sensor
Today, three out of four smart phones worldwide use Bosch Sensortec sensors. Bosch Sensortec is part of the Robert Bosch GmbH, the world-leading supplier of MEMS sensors, with 20 years of high volume MEMS production and a position at the forefront of MEMS innovation continuously driving miniaturization, intelligent sensor integration and the development of new measurands. Thanks to the success of Bosch Sensortec, 75 percent of all Bosch MEMS sensors are now used in consumer electronics.
Bosch Sensortec a pioneer for the CE market
Bosch Sensortec provides inertial motion sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, geomagnetic sensors and integrated combinations of these. In addition, Bosch Sensortec is the market leader in the environmental consumer sensor space, providing barometric pressure sensors, humidity sensors and - as announced recently - integrated indoor air quality sensors.
Bosch Sensortec also extends its product offering towards intelligent sensor system solutions. In one recent example, Bosch Sensortec has launched two new sensors with an integrated "Fuser Core" for sensor data fusion in Android smart phones and wearable devices. These new sensor hubs significantly reduce power consumption for always-on sensor applications such as fitness tracking, indoor navigation and gesture recognition, helping OEMs to be more competitive and improving the end user experience. Bosch Sensortec's highly precise inertial sensors also facilitate upcoming advanced applications like virtual and augmented reality.
"Bosch's unparalleled experience and skill in MEMS processing enable Bosch Sensortec to develop innovative products that differentiate us from our competitors," said Dr. Stefan Finkbeiner, CEO and General Manager, Bosch Sensortec. "Bosch Sensortec is a pioneer, successfully making the link between Bosch's automotive heritage and the needs of the fast-moving consumer electronics world."
Since 1995, Bosch has delivered more than 5 billion MEMS sensors, which have enabled consumers to lead convenient, efficient and secure lives. Currently, more than 4 million MEMS sensors per day are shipped from Bosch's state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facility in Reutlingen, Germany.
The Bosch group provides sensors for a wide range of automotive and consumer electronics applications, as well as MEMS microphones from its Akustica subsidiary. It holds more than 1,000 patents and patent applications related to MEMS technology.
Statements from industry analysts
"Among the ten biggest MEMS companies, Bosch has become a real titan," said Jean-Christophe Eloy, President & CEO, Yole Développement. "It is today the only MEMS company that is taking full manufacturing, engineering and commercial advantage of its positioning in dual markets, automotive and consumer. The creation of Bosch Sensortec in 2005 has provided the Bosch group with an incredible competitive advantage and has propelled the company to first place, with its total MEMS market size worth $1.2 billion, 50% higher than its closest competitor, and an incredible growth momentum."
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"In 2005, Bosch created Bosch Sensortec to go after the consumer MEMS market. When Bosch became the top manufacturer of MEMS sensors and actuators in 2013, and making history in the process as the first company to reach $1 billion in market revenue, most of the growth came from Bosch Sensortec," said Jérémie Bouchaud, Senior Director, MEMS & Sensors at IHS. "Bosch reinforced its leadership in the MEMS industry in 2014, where the company alone held 12% of the very fragmented MEMS market. It is clear that Bosch's bet on consumer applications paid off as this segment accounted for a third of Bosch's total MEMS revenue in 2014."
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