• Bosch signs agreements to purchase 39.43 percent of aleo solar AG
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• Takeover offer made to all outstanding shareholders of aleo solar AG to purchase shares for 9.00 euros per share in cash
• aleo solar AG manufactures and sells solar modules

Stuttgart – Bosch and the Eriksen Group, including related parties and other investors, have signed agreements relating to the purchase of 39.43 percent of the shares in aleo solar AG, in Prenzlau and Oldenburg, Germany. The purchase price for this stock amounts to 46 million euros, equivalent to a price of 9.00 euros per aleo share. In addition, Bosch plans to make all outstanding aleo shareholders a voluntary public takeover offer, in which Bosch will also make all aleo shareholders a cash offer of 9.00 euros per share. The offer is thus 43 percent above the weighted average Xetra® price of the aleo share over the past three months. The entire transaction is conditional on Bosch holding at least 75 percent of aleo shares following the conclusion of the public offer. It is also subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

aleo is an established brand name in the solar module market. It manufactures these modules on the basis of in-sourced mono- and polycrystalline solar cells. The modules are sold via a wide network of specialized dealers and installers to end-customers in Germany and other important European markets. In 2008, the company generated sales of roughly 360 million euros, and employed some 800 associates. This acquisition will give Bosch broad access to the market. In 2008, the technology and services company already acquired a solar cell manufacturer when it took over ersol Solar Energy AG in Erfurt, Germany. The administrative offices of aleo are located at its sales center in Oldenburg, Germany. Its manufacturing facilities are located in Prenzlau, Germany, and near Barcelona, Spain.

In addition, Bosch intends to acquire from the Eriksen Group and related investors more than 60 percent of the shares in Johanna Solar Technology GmbH, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, in which aleo also holds a roughly 17 percent stake. Johanna started developing solar modules based on thin-film CIGS cells in 2006, going into production at the end of 2008. These thin-film modules are marketed by aleo. Johanna employs 125 associates.

“With this acquisition, we are boosting our position in photovoltaics and renewable energies. Together with the management and associates of aleo and Johanna, and in combination with the team at our subsidiary ersol, we see good opportunities to expand significantly in this promising field,” said Dr. Siegfried Dais, deputy chairman of the Bosch board of management with responsibility for the Solar Energy division.

Apart from photovoltaics, the Bosch Group offers many other systems for exploiting renewable energies. Bosch Rexroth supplies gear and drive technology for wind turbines, as well as hydraulic actuators for solar thermal power stations, and develops drive concepts for the still young area of marine power generation. Bosch Thermotechnology is one of the leading suppliers of electric heat pumps and of solar collectors for hot-water generation.

For further information on the planned public takeover, see angebot.bosch.de

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 280,000 associates generated sales of 45.1 billion euros in fiscal 2008. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros, or eight percent of its sales revenue, for research and development, and applies for over 3,000 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.

The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com.cn