Automotive Engineering - August 2022 - 9

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
SOFTWARE
Data boom drives Bosch to hire 10,000 software engineers in 2022
Ten thousand. That's how many software
engineers Bosch plans to hire
worldwide in 2022. The Tier 1 giant
needs software specialists as electrified,
automated and connected vehicles
start to shake the dominance of
ICE propulsion.
" Talent scarcity is something we're
concerned about and if we just sit back
and do nothing about it, then all we're
doing for the next four or five years is
complaining about a lack of talent, " Paul
Thomas, executive VP of mobility solutions
for Bosch in the Americas, said
during an interview with SAE Media.
The search for software specialists led
Bosch to take an instructor's seat. " Our
IoT apprentice program teaches the fundamentals
of software engineering
through a tried-and-true apprenticeship
model, " explained Mike Mansuetti, president
of Bosch North America. That program,
which started in 2020, now has its
first graduates, none of whom had a
background in software.
Arin Minasian, one of five individuals
in the inaugural IoT apprenticeship program,
moved from California to
Michigan, leaving behind a job in finance.
" The IoT apprenticeship program
was a one-year process, so I had time to
digest software concepts and explore
the areas that interested me, " Minasian
said about the program that emphasized
C++ and other computer languages
and software concepts. The 37-yearold
now works full-time at Bosch as an
associate application developer responsible
for bench-testing the supplier's
fleet-management software before release
to commercial-vehicle customers.
" We're starting the process to recruit
our next group, " Mansuetti said, noting
that North American operations intends
to hire 500 software engineers this
year. In addition to its IoT apprentice
program, Bosch's Mission to Move initiative
helps workers in the supplier's
powertrain solutions division learn the
basics of software and artificial intelligence.
" This effort provides new skills
to associates as we experience the shift
to electrification, " said Mansuetti.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Bosch engineers note that the number of data channels in a brake system has grown from about
1000 a few years ago to more than 60,000 data channels being computed today.
Software played a major role in the
upgrade of one of Bosch's premier
product lines. " All of our new brake systems
are 100-percent connected and
IoT-ready, " said Rich Nesbitt, head of
product management for Bosch chassis
systems control in North America.
According to Nesbitt, a connected braking
system enables faster product development,
brings product-development
quality upfront via specification
refinement and validation and allows
for continuous development with overthe-air
updates.
" With connectivity, we can add even
more value to our brake systems and
bring safety to these vehicles in an enhanced
way, " he explained.
The ongoing explosion of data is the
main byproduct of connectivity. A few
years ago, brake systems typically had
between 500 and 1000 data channels.
" We're now looking at north of 60,000
data channels being computed on these
new brake systems, " Nesbitt said. More
data means more knowledge and that
information can be uploaded to the
cloud. " In the next few years, we're really
going to see an explosion of data
and connectivity, " said Nesbitt.
Other Bosch products are making
connections via Internet servers. The
software-based Battery in the Cloud
product enables continuous monitoring
of an electric vehicle's battery. " The
Battery in the Cloud gives you a dashboard
view of how the battery is performing, "
Thomas said about the product
being developed in the supplier's
powertrain solutions group.
" We're leveraging connectivity in the
cloud to develop solutions to extend
battery life, " said Thomas, noting the
product could reduce battery aging by
up to 20%.
Kami Buchholz
August 2022 9
BOSCH

Automotive Engineering - August 2022

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