Slovakia: Joint battery gigafactory powers China-Slovakia cooperation.

Storyline Joint battery gigafactory powers China-Slovakia cooperation Located in the town of Šurany, the battery gigafactory marks a major step in Slovakia's ambition to become a hub for Europe's electric vehicle supply chain. Jointly developed by China's Gotion and Slovakia's InoBat, the project broke ground last October. Production is expected to begin by the end of 2027. Even before the first battery rolls off the production line, demand is building. Seven Cai, President, Gotion EMEA Region: "The first production line which is 10 gigawatt-hours of production has already been taken by Volkswagen. We are also getting lots of requests from other European OEMs. I'm very optimistic. We will be expanding phase one, phase two, phase three, phase four... In the next five to ten years, we could easily grow to more than 40 gigawatt-hours." Since 2020, China has been Slovakia's largest trading partner outside the European Union. Bilateral trade reached 8.6 billion US dollars in 2025. Analysts say the relationship has evolved beyond trade, with investment increasingly integrating the two countries into European and global industrial supply chains. Sun Yaohong, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of European Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: "Slovakia is situated in the heart of Europe and enjoys a solid industrial base, making it an important node for Chinese enterprises seeking to enter the European market. As Europe advances its green and digital transitions, the two sides have large potential for cooperation in smart manufacturing, the digital economy, new energy sectors, logistics infrastructure, and other fields. Slovakia, in turn, can enhance its industrial competitiveness by attracting more Chinese investment." [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]