WARSAW, May 7 (Reuters) - State-backed ElectroMobility Poland said Thursday it will partner with Taiwan's Foxconn to develop an electric vehicle production and research hub in southern Poland, advancing plans to create a domestic EV champion as Europe demand picks up.
Battery EV sales in the European Union rose by about a third in the first quarter, according to industry association ACEA, lifted in part by higher fuel prices linked to the Iran war.
EMP said it was negotiating the scope of cooperation with Foxconn and its EV subsidiary Foxtron Vehicle Technologies, including possibly forming a joint venture, and aimed to sign binding agreements in the second half of 2026.
The partners aim to finalise a package of agreements in the second half of this year, the company added, moving the long-planned project into its next phase.
"From the outset, we have designed this project around the need for a partner that combines industrial scale with technological depth," EMP CEO Cyprian Gronkiewicz said.
He cited commitments on technology transfer, building in-house vehicle design capabilities in Poland and the potential use of local suppliers as decisive factors in choosing the Taiwanese group.
The planned joint venture would develop a local brand and roll out vehicles across Europe, starting with three models, while building production and technology capacity in Poland.
Plans include a factory in southern city of Jaworzno with body and paint shops, battery and electric drive assembly, and final vehicle assembly.
The Jaworzno hub is also expected to include a new research and development centre focused on software, data analytics and digital mobility solutions.
EMP said the project would be complemented by investments aimed at supporting the wider electric mobility ecosystem, including the battery sector.
Funding will come from the National Recovery Plan and the Reprivatisation Fund, which recapitalised EMP in December 2025, with the partner contributing both technology and capital, EMP said.
EMP was set up in 2016 by Poland's four state-controlled utilities to spearhead the country's homegrown EV ambitions, but the project has suffered repeated delays and strategic U-turns.
(Reporting by Barbara ErlingEditing by Bernadette Baum)
