Pohang Expands Eastern European Economic Cooperation Network... Completion of EcoPro's Hungary Plant

Expanding the Global Secondary Battery Industry Network in Hungary

The name of Pohang resonates in Hungary, the forward base of K-battery.

Pohang City has expanded its economic cooperation network for battery industry collaboration in Eastern Europe, which is emerging as a global battery cluster.

On November 28, Lee Kangdeok, Mayor of Pohang, attended the inauguration ceremony of EcoPro's anode material plant in Debrecen, Hungary, marking a significant step toward strengthening battery industry cooperation between Korea and Hungary.

Lee Kangdeok, Mayor of Pohang (second from right), attended the inauguration ceremony of EcoPro's anode material factory in Debrecen, Hungary, on the 28th (local time). Provided by Pohang City

The ceremony was attended by key figures from both countries, including Mayor Lee, Lee Dongchae, Chairman of EcoPro, Song Hojun, CEO of EcoPro, Levente Magyar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Istvan Joo, CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency, and Laszlo Papp, Mayor of Debrecen.

The completion of this plant is highly significant as it marks the establishment of a production base in Europe by a Korean anode material company, and is seen as a testament to Pohang's battery industry capabilities expanding into the global market.

EcoPro established the EcoPro Pohang Campus in the Yeongilman Industrial Complex in Pohang in 2017, successfully introducing an innovative production system in Korea that encompasses both materials and recycling.

This entry into Europe demonstrates the successful transfer of Pohang's proven production system to the continent, expanding Pohang’s secondary battery value chain into a global standard.

On November 27, at the pre-inauguration event in Budapest, Mayor Lee emphasized, "Pohang is the city that has best realized EcoPro's innovation, and Hungary will serve as the base for its European expansion," adding, "We will be a strong partner for cooperation and exchange between Korea and Hungary."

In his congratulatory speech at the inauguration ceremony in Debrecen on the 28th, he stated, "I sincerely congratulate EcoPro, which grew in Pohang, on establishing its first overseas production base in the heart of Europe," and stressed, "I hope that the successful experience and know-how accumulated in Pohang will continue in Hungary, making it a key hub leading the global secondary battery market."

In particular, the Pohang City delegation visited the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency, and held a series of meetings with representatives from global battery companies. They introduced Pohang’s battery cluster competitiveness and industry-academia-research cooperation foundation, and discussed ways to expand collaboration.

With the completion of EcoPro's anode material plant in Hungary, Pohang City plans to further expand its European and global secondary battery industry network, solidifying its status as a leading K-battery city and actively supporting local companies in their overseas expansion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.