Bosch is now significantly extending that collaboration and is establishing a joint venture, to be known as Bosch Quantum Sensing.
The joint venture will be based at the in-house start-up of the same name, which Bosch set up in 2022 and will be located in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Bosch Quantum Sensing currently employs 30 associates.
Bosch will be the lead partner and be responsible for operations. Element Six will hold a 25 percent stake. The establishment of the new company is, however, still subject to official approval.
According to Bosch Quantum Sensing there are many areas in which quantum sensors can be used, from exploration of natural resources to aircraft navigation and medical technology. By the middle of the next decade, it estimates that the global market potential of medical and mobility applications alone will be in the mid-single-digit billion euros range per year.
Synthetic diamonds are a key component of these quantum sensors and in stepping up its partnership with Element Six, Bosch said that it was making a determined move toward the commercialisation of this technology.
“Quantum sensors are a future technology with huge potential. They will bring about fundamental changes in many sectors of our economy. In setting up this new company, we are underscoring this technology’s strategic significance to Bosch,” said Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch.
The distinctive qualities of these special-purpose synthetic diamonds allow quantum sensors to detect even the tiniest magnetic fields.
“We want to work with Element Six to make quantum sensors economical and allow them to be produced on an industrial scale. In this way, we will create the basis for innovative applications that set new standards for precision and efficiency,” explained Katrin Kobe, CEO of Bosch Quantum Sensing.
“Through the new joint venture between Bosch and Element Six, we will integrate our synthetic diamond technology with Bosch Quantum Sensing’s capabilities, unlocking new possibilities in critical sectors such as healthcare and navigation,” added Siobhán Duffy, the CEO of Element Six.
The synthetic diamond solutions provider is in a unique position to supply the highly engineered synthetic diamonds in the quantity and quality required for industrial applications, while Bosch will integrate them into robust and scalable sensor systems.
The latest Bosch quantum sensor prototype is said to be the most compact of its kind for the level of sensitivity required – and is the same size as a modern smartphone.
The advantage of developing more compact sensors is their portability, they are less expensive to produce and offer better scalability.
The long-term goal of Bosch Quantum Sensing is to make quantum sensors so small that they can be integrated onto a chip.
