Bosch relocates packaging technology centre to Musashi near Tokyo

German conglomerate Bosch has relocated its global centre for packaging technology, Bosch Packaging Technology, from Honjo in Japan to a new location at Musashi, some 70 km north of Tokyo.

The Musashi premises cover an area of 3,240 sq m, involving an investment of €1.6 million, the company said in a release.

Bosh said since the move there in late March, over 100 associates have been developing and manufacturing inspection technology for the pharmaceuticals industry on the new premises.

''Expansion of the Bosch global centre of competence in Japan is important for our innovative strength,'' said Peter Tyroller, member of the Bosch board of management with responsibility for the Asia-Pacific region. ''We want to offer our customers outstanding products that are both beneficial and fascinating.''

Along with demand for product safety and quality, demand for inspection solutions is also constantly rising in the pharmaceuticals industry, Bosch pointed out.

''We want to build on the experience we have amassed in Japan over many decades and offer our customers technology that is 'Invented for life' around the world,'' said Joachim Baczewski, head of the Inspection Technology Pharma unit and general manager of Bosch Packaging Technology in Japan.

The Inspection Technology unit was established in 2012 following the acquisition of Eisai Machinery, a Japanese company. It comprises manual, semi-automated, and fully automated inspection machines designed to identify particles in pharmaceutical products. It also includes the cosmetic inspection of containers or tablets in order to detect defects such as scratches or discoloration.

Musashi is one of four Bosch Packaging Technology sites in Japan. Processing and packaging machines and robotics for the food and pharmaceuticals industries are developed and assembled at the Funabashi site, located east of Tokyo, while the company also has a sales office in Tokyo and one in Osaka.

Based in Waiblingen near Stuttgart, Germany, and employing 5,600 associates at over 30 locations in more than 15 countries worldwide, the Bosch Packaging Technology division is one of the leading suppliers of process and packaging technology.