The sharp declines of resource-related industries affected the 2016 financial results of Bosch Rexroth, with a decrease limited to -2,5% in sales, to 5 billion euro, thanks to market share gains in mobile hydraulics applications and factory automation. The Group have been able to balance out to a large extent the negative trend in the industrial hydraulics for mining, metallurgy and oil production sectors, relying on technical differentiation, synergies within the Bosch Group and the development of new products and services.
Despite the difficult economic climate, Bosch Rexroth invested more than 100 million euro in 2016, primarily in networking its production facilities, and invested an additional 330 million in developing new products and solutions, such as new solutions for electric drive systems of mobile machinery, such as tractors and construction vehicles with a voltage supply of 700 volts. The ratio invested in R&D amounted to 6,5%, especially addressed to the development of Industry 4.0 solutions, that the Group will present in Hannover. For 2017, Bosch Rexroth aims to significantly increase sales revenue, following the path of an incoming orders increase by 3,7% in 2016, and also thanks to strategic restructuring measures already started.