2017 Report

In many areas of the world, we can see an increasing polarization of societies, and the tone in the political debate, also and especially on the internet, has become more abrasive. Germany is no exception.

In light of these developments, the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH strengthened its focus on social cohesion, both in national and international projects, in 2017.

On an international scale, we are observing that democratic principles, the rule of law, and a peaceful reconciliation of interests can no longer be taken for granted in an increasing number of countries. They must even be defended in regions in which these values seemed to be firmly rooted only a few years ago. The number and complexity of intra-state and inter-state conflicts is rising worldwide. In many countries, civil society is facing pressure and is being limited in its scope of action. At the same time, traditional multilateral conflictsolving mechanisms only work to a limited extent. In this context, the support of non-governmental stakeholders, solutions tailored to specific situations, and the transfer of good practice examples are becoming increasingly important.

In regard to Germany, our focus continues to be on migrants and their integration. In the meantime, the challenges we are facing have shifted: from the emergency scenario of providing initial services to the long-term task of integrating new arrivals into the education system, the labor market, and municipalities with their civic and cultural structures. Therefore, in 2017, the Foundation directed its attention in the focus area of “Migration, Integration, and Inclusion” to hands-on projects that show how immigrants can contribute to and take part in these areas. Where possible, migrants themselves played an active role in shaping the relevant projects.

Over 100 million euros in total funding

In 2017, the Robert Bosch Stiftung approved over 700 new projects relating to the support areas International Relations, Health, Science, Education, and Society. The Foundation’s decision-making process was primarily guided by the three focus areas introduced in 2016: Migration, Integration, and Inclusion; Social Cohesion in Germany and Europe; and Sustainable Living Spaces. Last year’s total funding, including the institutional funding of subsidiaries such as the Robert Bosch Hospital and its medical research association, amounted to 100.5 million euros. For an extensive, updated presentation of our strategy in the support areas and focus areas as well as project reports, please see this website (What we do).

Internal developments

As of September 1, 2017, the members of the Board of Trustees of the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH appointed two new members to the Board of Management: Sandra Breka (46) and Dr. Hans-Werner Cieslik (58). Together with Prof. Joachim Rogall (59) and Uta-Micaela Dürig (54), this four-member team now manages the operations of the Robert Bosch Stiftung. Joachim Rogall serves as the President and CEO. In 2017, we continued to work on the strategic development of the Foundation and the internal change toward a culture characterized even more strongly by openness, diversity, and trust. The strategy also anticipates the further empowerment of staff members. As an outward sign of this change, the Foundation has adopted a new appearance, which was introduced in early 2018 and is also reflected in the design of this report.

We would like to thank the Foundation’s staff and many partners who supported our work in 2017 with great commitment.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Rogall, Uta-Micaela Dürig, Sandra Breka, and Dr. Hans-Werner Cieslik
Board of Management of the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH