The confirmation came at Bosch's annual results conference. There is a factory in Modugno, on the outskirts of Bari, that is shedding its skin. More than 1,400 workers, 240,000 square metres of floor space, a decades-long history at the heart of Italian diesel production. The Bari plant of the Bosch Group is undergoing a quiet but strategic transformation: from a production site for the original equipment of combustion engines — a structurally declining segment — to a European hub for automotive component remanufacturing. It is a project launched in 2025 that carries with it a clear vision: applying the principles of the circular economy to the automotive supply chain, by regenerating diesel injection pumps and injectors destined for the European aftermarket.

Bosch: the importance of taking something used and giving it value again

Remanufacturing, or industrial reconditioning, is one of the most tangible processes through which the circular economy is realised in the automotive industry. Used components are collected, disassembled, sorted, regenerated through precision machining, and finally subjected to functional and quality checks before being returned to the market. It is painstaking work — almost artisanal in some cases. But immensely valuable. The result: a component with the same performance and guarantees as a new one, but with a significantly lower environmental impact, thanks to reduced consumption of raw materials and the extension of the product's life cycle.

The first phase of the project saw the transfer to Bari of diesel injection pump reworking activities from Bosch's plant in Jihlava, in the Czech Republic. This transition required the physical relocation of machinery, the reorganisation of production layouts and, above all, a dedicated training programme for the professional figures involved — workers and technicians alike — called upon to acquire new skills in the diagnosis, overhaul and quality control of regenerated components. From the second half of 2026, activities will also expand to diesel injectors, further broadening the site's technological scope and consolidating its role within the Bosch network dedicated to the European aftermarket.

A market that grows as electrification advances

It might seem paradoxical: investing in the reconditioning of diesel components at the very moment when the automotive industry is accelerating towards electrification. In reality, the logic is sound. According to the ACEA report "Vehicles on European Roads 2025", the cars in circulation in Europe have an average age of 12.5 years. A vehicle fleet that is ageing slowly, and that will need maintenance, spare parts and repair solutions for many years to come.

Remanufacturing meets precisely this demand, offering reliable and more sustainable alternatives to new spare parts. It is a growing segment, consistent with European directives on extending product life cycles and with the goal of reducing pressure on natural resources.

Remanufacturing as a safeguard for employment

The ecological transition of the car is often told as a threat to jobs, especially in contexts like Apulia's, historically tied to the production of components for combustion engines. The Bari project demonstrates that another narrative is possible.

The Bari plant faces a progressive decline in production volumes linked to diesel original equipment: a structural trend, accelerated by the push towards the electrification of transport. Remanufacturing offers a way out that does not hinge on retraining: the precision engineering skills that Bari's workers have developed over decades of production are instead leveraged and redirected towards new activities, creating lasting employment prospects. This is perhaps the most significant aspect of the project: the circular economy as a real instrument of industrial and social transformation.

Bosch Italia: sustainability and innovation in a difficult year

The Bari project fits into a broader context, as emerged at the 2026 results conference. In 2025, Bosch Italia recorded a turnover of 2.3 billion euros, a fall of 4.8 per cent compared to the previous year, reflecting a still-weak European car market and a slowing global economy.

Despite the backdrop, the Group has not stopped investing. "We are investing in sustainability and the circular economy, adopting a diversification strategy," said Renato Lastaria, General Manager of the Bosch Group in Italy. The acquisition of Johnson Controls and Hitachi's HVAC activities strengthens Bosch's presence in the heating and cooling sector, while the Industrial technology and Consumer goods divisions are showing signs of recovery. On the innovation front, Bosch filed around 6,300 patents in 2025, confirming its place among Europe's most active companies in research and development, with around 12 billion euros invested in 2025 alone.