HANNOVER, Germany, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China's rapid advances in automotive technology are creating new opportunities for global suppliers, while Chinese automakers' growing international ambitions are reshaping the global auto industry, a senior Bosch executive has said.
"Every time we visit China, what is most important for me is to see lots of innovations being demonstrated," Markus Heyn, deputy chairman of the Bosch board of management and chairman of the Bosch Mobility business sector, said in a recent interview with Xinhua at IAA Transportation in Hannover.
At one of the world's largest gatherings for commercial vehicles and transport solutions, Heyn noted that Chinese automakers have strengthened their position in the domestic market while increasingly expanding overseas.
Heyn sees this shift as an important development in the global automotive industry. "You can only have a leading position in the industry if you are leading in more than one country," he said. "If you are good in China, then you also have to be good in Europe or other regions of the world."
The growing global ambitions of Chinese automakers are also changing their relationship with suppliers such as Bosch. "Cooperation with Chinese customers has become faster and more open," Heyn said.
Bosch's sales in China reached 149.8 billion yuan (22.47 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, up 4.9 percent year-on-year, according to the company.
Bosch has 38 manufacturing sites and 28 research and development centers in China, Heyn said, adding that the country is not only an important production base for Bosch but is also becoming an increasingly important source of innovation.
The rapid development of Chinese automakers, particularly in electrification and intelligent driving, is creating both competitive pressure and new opportunities for global suppliers, he said.
"I think it creates more opportunities," Heyn said, adding that cooperation with automakers and other industry partners provides a basis for innovations and new products.
For Bosch, those opportunities extend beyond passenger cars, making commercial vehicles a major area for future growth.
At IAA Transportation, Bosch showcased a range of technologies for commercial vehicles, including electric motors, inverters and other electrification solutions, as well as fuel-cell power modules. The portfolio reflects Bosch's strategy of developing different powertrain paths as the commercial vehicle industry undergoes a broad transition.
"The heavy-duty commercial vehicle business is a key growth area for us. We aim to double our sales in this segment by the mid-2030s," Heyn said.
Bosch expects global truck production to grow by about 1 percent in 2026 to around 3.3 million vehicles and reach about 4 million units by the mid-2030s. Based on that outlook, the company sees the potential to double its sales of heavy-duty commercial vehicle technology from more than 4 billion euros (4.6 billion U.S. dollars) currently to around 8 billion euros (9.2 billion dollars) by 2035.
Electrification will be an increasingly important part of that growth, Heyn said, although the pace of the transition varies across regions. "Batteries are also becoming the lead technology in commercial vehicles," he said.
However, Heyn said the transition would not follow a single technological path, particularly in heavy-duty long-haul transport.
"Achieving the world's climate goals in the transport sector isn't an 'either-or' proposition. We have to use every technology that helps us transition away from fossil fuels," he said, adding that hydrogen and alternative fuels would continue to complement battery-electric technology in long-haul transport.
