Milan Šlachta graduated from the Czech Technical University in Prague and has been loyal to Robert Bosch in the Czech Republic for his entire professional life. As a manager of a multinational company, he has the opportunity to get to know business on both sides of the border. He is the representative of the company Robert Bosch for the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the managing director of the companies Robert Bosch spol s.r.o., České Budějovice, Robert Bosch odbytová s.r.o. Praha and Robert Bosch, spol. s. r. o., Bratislava, as well as Bosch Termotechnika s.r.o., Praha. In the spring of this year, he was elected as the new President of the Czech-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry based in Prague.
The Bosch Group has a long tradition in the Czech Republic, but your vision and innovation reach for the stars. The growing space industry is becoming a challenge in the Czech Republic too. Is it also a challenge for your company?
In the Czech Bosch companies, we are still more on the ground and on four wheels, but it is certainly interesting for the Bosch Group. Bosch is involved in space programmes. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter is also fl ying on Mars thanks to two of our BMI160 sensors. They handle extreme vibrations, measure temperatures and support stability during flight. They also collect data on the helicopter’s speed and direction. The SoundSee technology is housed on NASA’s Astrobee autonomous flying robot on the International Space Station (ISS). It is a cube-shaped device that hovers within the station and continuously records the operational sounds of the equipment. If the system detects that it differs from the typical sound pattern, it warns the crew of possible malfunctions. However, Bosch is not involved in these projects in the Czech Republic. We focus on the development and production of automotive components, testing, software development and, more recently, the development of new technologies in the fi eld of hydrogen use. And, of course, we sell the products of all the other divisions in our market.
Climate-neutral mobility is becoming not only a challenge but also a necessity, where the priority is to address long distances with short refuelling times. What solutions do you offer?
Bosch sees a more technology-neutral solution for future mobility. Our strategy takes into account the different mobility requirements and develops solutions that best suit each mode of transport — from ebikes to trucks. We expect the future of propulsion to be more diverse. Bosch has a wide range of capabilities, from battery electric mobility to hydrogen powertrains and the internal combustion engine. I am pleased that our developers in České Budějovice are also involved. More than 600 experts are working on NOx reduction systems and components for fuel systems, as well as hydrogen fuel cell projects.
You have been elected the new President of the CzechGerman Chamber of Commerce and Industry. What will be your main business priority?
Well, the role is all about representing the Chamber and its members in public. The choice of topics is based on the needs of our members. The wide range of Bosch’s business activities in the Czech Republic will hopefully allow me to understand the needs and represent the interests of our members better. Priority areas now certainly include sustainability and the impact of megatrends on industry and services, whether it is digitalisation, the use of the Internet of Things, elements of artifi cial intelligence or the Green Deal.
Thank you for the interview.
