‘Products should not only show their value at the moment of purchase’


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Quality, longevity and technology with a purpose were high on the agenda for BSH at IFA 2026, as Bosch and Siemens came together for their first joint press conference. ERT takes a closer look at the latest innovations from the two brands and why making everyday life easier remains at the heart of their plans.


wonder whether anything in your home is still allowed to think for itself. BSH took a slightly different approach in


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Berlin. For the first time, Bosch and Siemens brought their innovations together for a joint IFA press conference, using the occasion to explain not simply what its latest appliances can do, but where the two brands fit into an increasingly connected home. Opening the presentation, BSH Chief Sales and Service Officer Rudolf Körche said the move reflected the company’s decision to align its marketing and sales globally across its brands. The company stated that it remains Europe’s number one home appliance manufacturer, but Mr Körche argued that selling a good appliance is no longer enough on its own. Increasingly, the relationship between manufacturer and consumer stretches from the first interaction with a brand, through the retailer and into years of ownership. “Today, enthusiasm is not created by an


excellent product, but by clear experiences,” he said.


That includes the shop floor, where BSH is working with its retail partners to turn the traditional point of sale into what Mr Körche described as a “point of emotion”. But the bigger test comes once the appliance is through the customer’s front door.


here are plenty of things competing for attention at IFA. Bigger screens, smarter appliances and, this year in particular, enough mentions of artificial


intelligence to make you “An appliance might impress in the store,


but whether it truly inspires is only decided at home,” he added.


Built for everyday life That idea of technology proving its worth at home formed the backbone of Bosch’s presentation.


The brand positioned itself as an everyday companion, spanning everything from cooking and laundry through to heating, air conditioning and ventilation - or, as it put it at IFA, “from the basement to the roof”. Quality and longevity remain a sizeable part of that pitch. Bosch highlighted washing machines and dryers designed for a service life of up to 20 years with proper care, something it neatly described as taking an appliance “from baby clothes to the laundry your child brings home as a student during semester breaks”. There was also a new digital element to that longevity story. Bosch introduced Q-Trust, a digital quality certificate that allows owners to run a self-test through Home Connect to check key appliance components. Information including the age and previous usage frequency of the appliance is then combined into a digital certificate showing its usage status – potentially useful when an appliance is resold. Alongside durability, inevitably, came AI. Bosch’s Cookit AI combines artificial intelligence with appliance technologies, sensors and Home Connect. The system is designed to guide home cooks through more


complicated dishes while coordinating multiple appliances and timings. Importantly, Bosch stressed that the person remains in control.


As the company put it, the technology


provides “guidance, timing and coordination between devices”, rather than attempting to remove the cook from the equation entirely. Away from AI, there were plenty of more tangible product launches on show. Bosch has expanded its air fryer line-up considerably since entering the category last year. The range now stretches from the compact four-litre Series 2 through to a 12- litre Double Stack model with two vertically arranged drawers. There is also a Series 4 Double Drawer with two 4.5-litre compartments and a 10-litre Double Flex, which can operate as one large drawer or be divided into two independent cooking zones.


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