Bosch and Element Six set up JV to commercialise quantum sensing
Bosch is intensifying its push into quantum technology by establishing a new joint venture with Element Six, a leading provider of synthetic diamond solutions. The new company, Bosch Quantum Sensing, aims to accelerate the commercialisation of quantum sensors, building on a collaboration between the two firms that began in 2023.
The joint venture will be based in Ludwigsburg, Germany, and is founded on Bosch’s internal start-up of the same name, launched in 2022. Bosch will hold a majority stake and lead operational management, while Element Six will take a 25% share. Financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The establishment of the joint venture is still pending regulatory approval, a press release reads.
Bosch Quantum Sensing sees many areas in which novel quantum sensors can be used, from exploration of natural resources to aircraft navigation and medical technology. By the middle of the next decade, Bosch estimates that the global market potential of medical and mobility applications will be in the mid-single-digit billion euros range per year. Synthetic diamonds are a key component of Bosch quantum sensors. Currently, Bosch Quantum Sensing employs 30 associates.
“Quantum sensors are a future technology with huge potential. They will bring about fundamental changes in many sectors of our economy, and improve people’s lives,” said Dr. Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, in the press release. “As innovation leader of commercial quantum sensors, we will work with Element Six to further extend our technological lead.”
Katrin Kobe, CEO of Bosch Quantum Sensing, emphasised the joint venture's industrial ambitions: “We want to work with Element Six to make quantum sensors economical and allow them to be produced on an industrial scale.”
Siobhán Duffy, CEO of Element Six, noted the strategic alignment with De Beers Group’s Origins strategy and the significance of combining both companies’ expertise. “Together, we will harness the respective decades of excellence and innovation to push the limits of what's possible, heralding a new era of synthetic diamond-enabled technologies,” she said.
The latest Bosch quantum sensor prototype is reportedly the most compact in its class, comparable in size to a modern smartphone. The long-term goal is to reduce the size further, enabling integration of quantum sensors onto a chip—paving the way for broader adoption across industries.