Hydraulics Meets Software: Bosch Rexroth and Kawasaki Formalise Their Off-Highway Alliance

Six months after a memorandum signed in Las Vegas, the two suppliers have signed an agreement combining electronics, software and excavator hydraulics, with hydrogen on the agenda too

Two of the best-known names inside construction machines have moved from intentions to a signed agreement. Bosch Rexroth and Kawasaki Heavy Industries signed a technology cooperation agreement for the off-highway segment in Stuttgart on 22 September 2026.

The deal builds on the Memorandum of Understanding the companies signed on 2 March 2026 in Las Vegas and deepens their planned cooperation on off-highway machines and hydrogen solutions. The individual initiatives remain subject to ongoing antitrust review by both companies.

Who brings what

The logic is complementary. Bosch Rexroth contributes system expertise, modern electronics and software and a broad electrical portfolio. Kawasaki, through its Precision Machinery & Robot Company, brings proven mobile hydraulics and specific know-how in excavator systems.

The goal is to develop solutions faster and bring them to market sooner, targeting the issues the industry considers most pressing: jobsite safety, autonomous machine operation, seamless data exchange and a faster transition to more sustainable energy sources.

“The off-highway industry is undergoing a profound transformation. By combining our respective strengths, we are creating new opportunities for OEMs,” said Dr. Steffen Haack, member of the Bosch Rexroth board responsible for development. Haack stressed the focus on open systems and interfaces, so that innovations can be integrated quickly into both existing and next-generation machine platforms.

Hydrogen beyond the machine

Yoshimoto Matsuda, head of Kawasaki’s Precision Machinery & Robot Company, said the cooperation would increase value for customers in mobile hydraulics while responding to fast-changing market needs. He pointed to further synergies in mobile electrics, digital solutions, safety in autonomous operation and hydrogen refuelling stations.

For excavator OEMs, the practical promise is a pre-integrated package of hydraulics, controls and software from two major suppliers, which could shorten development cycles for electrified and automated machines. The hydrogen element suggests the partnership looks beyond the machine itself to the infrastructure needed to power it.

Hydraulics Meets Software: Bosch Rexroth and Kawasaki Formalise Their Off-Highway Alliance published on The HeavyQuip Magazine.