DEBRECEN, Hungary, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese investment and technological expertise offer valuable opportunities for Europe's battery industry, industry representatives said Wednesday at the sixth Hungarian Battery Days conference in Debrecen, eastern Hungary.
Ilka von Dalwigk, director general of RECHARGE, the European association for advanced rechargeable and lithium batteries, told Xinhua that Chinese companies' interest in producing in Europe and cooperating with European businesses was a very positive development.
With China already well advanced in battery technology, she said such cooperation offered Europe valuable opportunities to learn from Chinese technology and manufacturing experience, stressing that Europe is in need of external expertise and stronger international cooperation, particularly in supply chain diversification and raw materials.
Peter Kaderjak, executive director of the Hungarian Battery Association, told Xinhua that Hungary and China had built strong cooperation in the battery sector over the past several years.
Leading Chinese battery manufacturers, including CATL and EVE Energy, had invested in Hungary, attracting suppliers and related businesses to the country, he said.
According to a 2026 industry fact sheet published by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), the country's battery industry has attracted approximately 27 billion euros (30.29 billion U.S. dollars) in foreign direct investment, helping establish a value chain spanning components, cells, modules, battery packs and recycling.
Kaderjak expressed confidence in the industry's long-term prospects, while urging companies to take environmental and social sustainability seriously, comply with strict environmental standards, and improve public access to information on environmental performance, workplace safety and employee health.
Oskaras Alsauskas, an energy modeller at the International Energy Agency (IEA), said the growth of electric vehicles and stationary energy storage would continue to drive battery demand, with the market becoming more geographically diversified. Batteries are not only a key technology enabling electrification but also offer significant opportunities for industrial growth, he said.
Qin Liang, executive general manager of CATL Debrecen, said at the conference that the facility had produced and delivered approximately 630,000 battery modules since launching module production in September 2024. Trial production of battery cells began on Sept. 22 this year.
He said the company was working to reduce water and energy consumption through technological innovation and planned to publish operational information quarterly to strengthen public trust.
The two-day conference, jointly organized by the Hungarian Battery Association and Hungary-based White Paper Consulting, brings together industry experts, business leaders and decision-makers from more than 20 countries and regions, including representatives of Chinese companies CATL, EVE Energy and SEMCORP.
Discussions focus on technological innovation, sustainable battery manufacturing, European industrial competitiveness and the circular economy, as well as energy storage, raw materials and international cooperation.
