Bosch Quantum Executive Sees Company in Quantum Sensing ‘For The Long Haul’

Insider Brief

• EE News Europe reports on quantum sensing progress at Robert Bosch GmbH.
• The company built a quantum sensing startup with an initial focus on magnetic field measurement, led by Dr. Katrin Kobe.
• Kobe tells the site quantum sensing is challenging, but progress could happen quickly based on market niche and clear advantage.

Robert Bosch GmbH is developing a quantum sensing startup with an out-of-the-gate focus on magnetic field measurement using nitrogen vacancies in diamonds, according to Dr. Katrin Kobe, the CEO of Bosch Quantum Sensing. The startup is currently a part of the parent company’s corporate research division, according to EE News Europe.

Quantum sensing has the potential to deliver highly sensitive, compact and portable sensor solutions, according to the website. Currently, Bosch Quantum Sensing is focusing on a technique involving nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamonds. This process enables magnetic measurements and has potential applications in everything from battery sensing to medical monitoring and from brain-computer interfaces to geolocation, according to the site.

In an interview, Bosch told EE News Europe that the focus is on producing minimum viable products (MVPs) or prototypes aimed at a small group of customers who can provide feedback.

Bosch told EE News Europe: “A successful quantum sensing business needs a complete ecosystem, including application knowledge and production know-how. Many of the parts of the puzzle are still in development. For example, there is only one source of diamonds of sufficient quality right now. But, of course, the ecosystem shortfall applies to everyone in quantum sensing.”

Challenges And Need for Ecosystems

The path to commercialization has its challenges, Kobe told the website that specializes in news for engineers. A thriving quantum sensing business requires a robust ecosystem that includes application knowledge and production expertise, many components of which are still in development. Bosch Quantum Sensing, according to Kobe, is fully committed to extensive research on quantum sensing, with about seven years of groundwork already laid down before the formation of the business unit.

Kobe expects that Bosch Quantum Sensing will not be bringing products to the market in the immediate future, but will definitely participate within the next five years, with technology refinement and product definition being the necessary stepping stones. However, she notes that when a technology discovers its specific market niche and a clear advantage, progress could occur rapidly. She added it’s crucial for companies to iterate on a variety of ideas, intensely listening to customer feedback. The Bosch Quantum Sensing team, for instance, is weighing about 200 ideas, moving forward or halting them based on progress and customer input.

According to the EE News Europe report, Kobe describes Bosch Quantum Sensing as residing in an almost pre-startup phase, promising that “Bosch is definitely in this for the long haul.”

The startup has grown to an employee count of 24, under the leadership of newly appointed CTO Frederik Schaal and COO Andrea Bräuning, and plans to expand further. Kobe highlighted that the autonomous nature of Bosch Quantum Sensing combined with their access to Bosch’s research department and broad customer base positions them well to advance their technology.