A new multi-billion-dollar battery factory by Chinese battery giant CATL in Debrecen, Hungary, is set to create hundreds of job opportunities, as it prepares to launch production in the coming months.
At a vocational school in Debrecen, students are not just learning about the future, they're hoping to help build it.
Soon, some of these students will trade textbooks for toolkits as they step into CATL's new battery plant, one of Europe's most advanced EV factories.
The 8-billion-dollar investment by China's world's biggest battery manufacturer is bringing hundreds of jobs to Hungary's Great Plain.
"In all these campaigns, we had been focusing on different types of jobs. Because the company is growing here in Debrecen, we need a different workforce. Now, as we are getting to the final stage of construction, we need more blue-collar workers because we want to start production in the next few months," said Noemi Sidlo, communications manager of CATL Hungary.
Among the new hires are first responders, firefighters and the freshly graduated.
At the University of Debrecen, CATL's partnership is reshaping what higher education means in this city. Together, they're creating programs in engineering, IT, and business designed to turn local students into the next generation of industry leaders. "Before CATL, I mainly worked in the hospitality sector, where I gained some insight into management and procurement processes. So, with this job position, I'm continuing my career," said Konrad Kiss, a business and management student at the University of Debrecen who is a new CATL hire.
Inside the plant, some equipment has already been installed, and the countdown to production is getting close.
"My job is final inspection of the line. We are checking every single module one by one," said Patrick Heisler, an electrical technician and final line inspector at CATL Hungary.
CATL says 75 percent of all hires will come from within 60 kilometers of the Debrecen plant.
"Today, we are already 950 people. And by the beginning of next year, we plan to have 1,400 employees here in CATL Debrecen," said Sidlo.
For these new hires, long before a single battery leaves this factory, something powerful is already being created here: opportunity.
For CATL, the Debrecen plant will play a central role in Europe.
At Hungarian Battery Days, the company outlined new details about its latest battery, designed for European roads, which offers longer ranges and compatibility with uneven charging networks.
"We are working with our customers, as well as some third parties to analyze what is really needed from end users in Europe," said Matt Feng Shen, manager director of CATL Germany and Hungary.
Chinese battery maker CATL's new factory brings hundreds of jobs to Hungary
