Thursday, 1 October 2026
Hyundai Wia is expanding its manufacturing presence in Slovakia with a €31.37 million investment in Martin, where the Korean automotive supplier is converting the former Ecco Slovakia factory into a production and technology centre focused increasingly on components for electric vehicles.
The investment consists of €26.77 million for manufacturing operations and €4.6 million for a technology centre. The Slovak government has approved almost €8.9 million in investment support through corporate income-tax relief. The programme is expected to create 255 additional positions, including 245 manufacturing jobs and ten positions associated with the technology centre.
Wia Slovakia is transferring its existing operations from Dolný Hričov to Martin after acquiring the former Ecco industrial property earlier this year. Two production lines have already been relocated, with another two expected to follow. The move gives the company an established manufacturing site and workforce base rather than requiring development of an entirely new factory.
Production in Martin will include drive shafts for electric vehicles as well as thermal-management systems used for batteries, electric motors and other vehicle components. Additional heating, ventilation and cooling products are also expected to become part of the site’s manufacturing programme as the operation develops.
The investment also brings new industrial activity to a facility affected by Ecco’s decision to end footwear production in Martin in 2025. Wia currently employs around 115 people at the site, including former Ecco employees. Employment is expected to increase substantially as production expands, with longer-term plans indicating that the Martin operation could approach 600 employees by 2035.
For Slovakia’s industrial property market, the project illustrates how existing manufacturing assets can be repositioned as the automotive supply chain changes. Rather than adding another conventional automotive factory, the investment combines the reuse of an established industrial site with new technology and EV-related manufacturing, reinforcing Martin’s role within Slovakia’s evolving automotive production network.
