Magnetics Business & Technology - May/June 2022 - 54

VISIONS
Bosch Startup to Commercialize Quantum Sensing Research
Robert Bosch GmbH has set up a new business unit to commercialize
quantum sensors. Medical diagnostic applications
are a key target, using quantum magnetometers to detect the
tiny magnetic fields generated by physiological processes.
Planning to benefit from strong growth for the market, an
in-house startup will pool the results of research so far and
translate them into products.
" Quantum technology is pushing the boundaries of what is
possible in both data processing and sensors, " says Jens Fabrowsky,
executive vice-president of Bosch Automotive Electronics
responsible for the semiconductor business. " Above all,
the aim is to increase the broad practical benefit of quantum
effects for everything from the development of carbon-neutral
powertrains to neurological diagnosis. Bosch has been doing
extensive research in quantum sensing for many years now,
and we see ourselves as global leaders in this area. Now we
also want to use this as a basis for future business models. "
The CEO of the newly established
startup is Dr. Katrin Kobe. A physics
PhD, she brings to Bosch more than 25
years of management experience with a
variety of technology companies. During
that time, she developed several new
business areas. She has been a partner
in the European consulting firm Theron
Advisory Group, specializing in the
development of marketable product strategies,
attractive business models and
suitable sales structures, especially for
technologically sophisticated products,
and began her career with McKinsey &
Company.
looking to attract engineers and business developers.
Quantum sensors use the individual atoms of a gas or defects
in solids as atomic measuring instruments. Because of the
special way they are initialized before measurement and their
ability to detect individual quantum states after measurement,
these sensors achieve unprecedented precision. Thanks to
quantum technology, this will soon allow measurements to be
carried out that are nearly 1,000 times more precise than those
done by today's micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)
sensors.
Quantum sensors will, for example, be able to help diagnose
neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
more accurately and easily. They can also be used to record
nerve impulses, and thus to control artificial limbs one day.
These sensors can also detect the tiniest changes in an object's
position.
Bosch began researching quantum sensing seven years
ago and has been involved in eight publicly funded quantum
sensing projects, some of them international, since 2018.
It has built fully functional and powerful demonstrators of a
quantum magnetometer and a quantum gyrometer. Quantum
magnetometers can detect the tiny magnetic fields generated
by physiological processes, while quantum gyrometers permit
the high-precision detection of rotations for the navigation of
autonomous systems. The long-term goal is to achieve further
miniaturization and integrate the technology on a chip.
Dr. Katrin Kobe,
CEO of the new
unit
" At Bosch, research is a top priority, " she says. " As a global
company with alliances and expertise in quantum technology,
Bosch is seizing the opportunity to make headway with this
promising new field in an agile startup environment. " There are
already 15 associates working at the new startup. The team,
which is set to grow to more than 20 in the coming months, is
54 Magnetics Business & Technology * May/June 2022
Market experts are predicting strong growth in quantum
sensing applications in the years ahead. In 2021, $22 billion
was invested worldwide in quantum technology. According to
McKinsey & Co., the market for quantum sensors is expected
to grow to as much as $7 billion. The new business unit will be
located on the premises of its grow platform GmbH subsidiary
in Ludwigsburg. Organizationally, the startup will be assigned
to the Bosch Automotive Electronics division, based in Reutlingen.
For more info, see www.bosch.com.
www.MagneticsMag.com
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