The company said in a press statement that packaging technology is not part of group’s core business and as the group focuses on the transformation ahead, it does not identify any sufficiently relevant synergy effects in terms of business or technology that might offer the packaging division prospects for the future within Bosch.

“This decision will allow Bosch to narrow its focus on issues of importance for its future, such as the transformation of the Bosch Group and its future digitalisation strategy, including the internet of things, and to pool its resources accordingly,” said Dr Stefan Hartung, the Bosch board of management member responsible for the energy and building technology and industrial technology business sectors.

“Both, the packaging machinery business and Bosch will benefit from this decision. A reorganised packaging technology business will be able to adapt more flexibly to the diverse requirements of this typically SME (small and medium enterprises) market, while Bosch will be free to focus its attention entirely on the group’s impending profound transformation,” said Hartung.

Dr Stefan Konig, chairman of the managing board of Robert Bosch Packaging Technology, said he is confident that this decision will lead to a better response to satisfy the demands of the packaging industry and will certainly enact as a beneficial move for their customers.

Bosch’s packaging technology unit is headquartered in Waiblingen near the group’s global headquarters outside Stuttgart. It has 6,100 employees in 15 countries. The business develops and produces machinery for the pharmaceuticals, food and confectionery industries.

The packaging technology division generated Euro 1.3 billion in sales last year.