Master thesis - Context Engineering Strategies for Agentic Development

Company DescriptionAt Bosch, we shape the future by inventing high-quality technologies and services that spark enthusiasm and enrich people’s lives. Our promise to our associates is rock-solid: we grow together, we enjoy our work, and we inspire each other. Join in and feel the difference.Bosch R&D Center Lund stands for modern development in cutting edge technology in the areas of connectivity, security, mobility solutions and AI. We are growing rapidly and looking for people to join us on our mission to become the Bosch Group’s 1st address for secure connected mobility solutions. We are working on a range of interesting projects, with a particular focus on software development for the automotive industry, electrical bicycles and Internet of Things.Job DescriptionProblem statementAs AI agents handle increasingly complex, long-running development tasks, a critical challenge has emerged: managing limited context windows across multiple agent sessions. In continuous development scenarios—where agents work on the same codebase over days or weeks—agents must maintain coherence, recall previous decisions, and avoid redundant work within strict token constraints.Current approaches often focus on isolated sessions or rely on pre-computed retrieval (RAG). However, optimal performance requires thoughtful strategies across the entire agent lifecycle: pre-session preparation, intra-session dynamic retrieval, and post-session persistence. At Bosch Lund, where we work extensively with multi-agent systems, understanding which context management strategies provide the best balance of continuity, performance, and efficiency is crucial for production-ready agentic systems.Proposed solutionThis thesis investigates context management techniques across all three lifecycle stages in continuous development scenarios. The goal is to evaluate and compare different approaches, allowing flexibility and discovery throughout the research.Pre-session strategies: Initialization approaches (project docs, previous summaries), selective vs. comprehensive loading, preparation overhead vs. effectiveness trade-offs.Intra-session strategies: Just-in-time retrieval (dynamic file loading, targeted fetching), context refresh mechanisms, navigation and discovery during execution.Post-session strategies: Summary generation (compression, selective preservation), memory extraction and persistence, formats enabling future continuity.Implementation And EvaluationDesign and implement 2-3 strategies at each lifecycle stageBenchmark on realistic multi-session development tasksMeasure continuity, quality, token efficiency, and coherenceAnalyze which combinations work best under different conditionsPossible Extensions (if Time Permits)Investigate sub-agent architectures for parallel context handlingExplore hybrid strategies combining pre-computed and just-in-time approachesAnalyze how findings generalize across different types of agentic tasksYou will shape the research direction based on your discoveries and interests during the project.QualificationsIn order to be successful in the project:Master student(s) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI/Machine Learning, or Data SciencePassionate about Generative AI, large language models (LLMs) and surrounding technologiesExperienced with Python programming and comfortable working with APIsInterested in software engineering practices and agent-based systemsAnalytical with strong problem-solving skills and an interest in empirical researchSelf-driven and able to work independently while collaborating with the teamCurious about emerging AI technologies and eager to contribute to cutting-edge researchAdditional InformationSupervisors: Samuel Peltomaa, Staffan LindgrenScope: We encourage to have a team of 2 master thesis students working on the thesis.