Denso Corp. and Robert Bosch GmbH announced that they have agreed to discontinue their joint development activities for diesel particulate filters (DPF). As a result of this decision, the joint venture is to be disbanded by the end of 2009.
Founded in 2007, the joint venture’s purpose was to develop, manufacture and market efficient and cost-effective DPF filters made of cordierite ceramic. The Denso and Bosch associates assigned to the joint venture will return to their parent companies. The manufacturing facility set up in Wroclaw, Poland, will be assigned to the manufacturing network of Robert Bosch GmbH and used for a new purpose.
The two companies also have agreed that further common activities do not appear to make business sense at the present time, given the currently difficult environment in the global automotive industry.
