NIO is a Shanghai-based car manufacturing company specialising in the development of electric vehicles. The company is also known for developing automatic battery pack swapping stations for its vehicles as an alternative to conventional charging stations. The company has chosen Biatorbágy, near Budapest, as the location for its first European manufacturing base. The new plant will produce such stations in the future. For Széchenyi István University, the expansion of its international relations is a key priority, enabling it to further strengthen its contribution to the region's economy.

In this spirit, a delegation from NIO visited Széchenyi István University led by Chao Yang, Vice President of NIO Power. Playing a major role in the facilitation of the meeting was Hungary’s Consul General in Shanghai, who introduced Győr as the city of rivers, well known via Audi and its suppliers for its automotive industry, and for being located in a triangle of three capitals - Budapest, Vienna and Bratislava. He noted that among Hungarian universities, Széchenyi István University has the closest and most extensive links with automotive companies.

Members of the delegation from the Chinese company, staff of Széchenyi István University, student members of the Arrabona Racing Team and the SZEngine team at the Arrabona Racing Team workshop on the Győr campus (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Bálint Szüle, Head of the University's Centre for International Programmes, and Tamás Kolossváry, Head of the University's Centre for Innovation and Training in Zalaegerszeg, explained that the nine-member institution, which has a presence in Győr, Mosonmagyaróvár, Budapest and the most modern automotive test track in Central Europe, ZalaZONE, has strong technical roots and knowledge. Of the 14,000 students, almost a thousand come from abroad - from more than 60 countries - and study on one of the 40 English-language courses. The high quality of the institution is reflected in its world ranking from 801 to 1000 in the QS international higher education ranking.

Tamás Kolossváry added: "In addition to the implementation of the Győr Science and Innovation Park, Széchenyi István University has also become a key player in the infrastructure being built next to the ZalaZONE automotive test track. In the former, where the first phase is currently under construction, the institution will help to establish even closer partnerships with companies, support start-ups and spinoff companies and develop the knowledge economy. The building of the Zalaegerszeg Innovation and Training Centre, located in the ZalaZONE Science and Innovation Park, was recently inaugurated. There the focus will be on research into self-driving vehicles and transport systems, drone technology, practical training for students and cooperation with industrial companies. Dr. Dénes Fodor, Head of the Research Group of the Centre for Automotive Research at Széchenyi University, gave the Chinese delegation an insight into the institution's research on e-mobility.

Chao Yang said that his company sees its investment in Hungary as a milestone and with this would like to stimulate the electric vehicle market. He noted that they need the most talented professionals to develop the best solutions for consumers, and that they intend to cooperate with Hungarian universities in the future.

The Chinese guests concluded their visit by touring the laboratories of the University's Department of Power Electronics and Electrical Drives, and learning about the work of one of the student racing teams, the Arrabona Racing Team, which has achieved great success this summer in Hungary, Austria and Germany.

The guests also had a look at Széchenyi István University’s dynamometer for testing electric drives (Photo: Csaba József Májer)