The news that the German company Next.e.GO will open a manufacturing plant in Greece seems to have been enough to provoke the reaction of many municipalities and Industrial Zones to attract this investment, especially in the city of Volos.
The company Next.e.GO Mobile SE was created in 2015 by Professor of Mechanical Engineering of the University Aachen, Dr. Günther Schuh.
Today Next.e.Go employs about 450 people and manufactures electric cars, which are available at affordable prices and are suitable for driving in the city.
The first model the professor built bore the e.GO Life logo sold for under 16,000 euros.
The e.GO Life assembled at the Aachen plant, which is in full operation, produces 10,000 vehicles annually.
However, the Next.e.GO plan is that 30,000 of these cars will be produced in Greece.
News Auto went to the first Industrial Area of Volos, which sent a formal proposal for expressions of interest to the Foreign Ministry for the electric car assembly factory to be in Volos.
The chairman and CEO of First Industrial Area of Volos, Joanna Kida, noted inter alia that:
"We informed through a signing of a Letter of Intent of Cooperation with Enterprise Greece and German automaker Next.e.GO SE for the creation of a factory to produce electric cars in Greece, and we acted immediately and, I believe, responsibly."
"In particular, in our letter to the Deputy Minister Mr. Frangogiannis, we briefly presented the comparative advantages of our region, which make it attractive for investments of high demands and we hope that our area will be included among those who will be evaluated as a candidate to claim this investment," she said.
"Our company is the Administration and Management Body of the AD Industrial Area of Volos. However, when it comes to investments that will bring income and employment to our country, we go beyond our formal duties and seek to help recover the local economy and society," she added.
What is the A 'VIPE of Volos
The ABUTH industrial area of Volos has an area of 2,780 hectares and is located 8km from the city and the commercial port of Volos.
It hosts 90 operating (active) companies and although it is 99% full, it has several industrial buildings (closed businesses) that are available.
Exemplary companies located at the site include: Barilla, Eureka, Papadopoulos Biscuits, Steel Greece, VIS Group Philip (carton industry), Dairy EVOL, OUZO12 and HDVS (defense systems systems), as well as other activities of various sectors such as metal construction, machinery construction, conveyor belts, furniture, machine building, food production and transport companies.
The letter
The letter of intention to cooperate with Enterprise Greece and Next.e.GO SE immediately mobilized industrial interests in Volos which submitted a formal proposal of interest for hosting the investment.
The letter to the Deputy Foreign Minister Costas Frangoyannis lists said:
"Our company is the Administration and Management Body of the 1st Industrial Area of Volos, succeeding ETVA INDUSTRY, and our goal is to create a safe, clean and functional environment for established companies and employees but also attractive for new investments and job creation.
With our letter we would like to bring to your attention the intense interest of business entities in the area with past involvement in the production of passenger vehicles for participation in the specific investment in our area.
It is worth reminding that in the Industrial Area of Volos on a plot of land with a total area of 264 acres, the company TEOKAR of the Theocharakis group was active in the car production sector for 15 years and was one of the leading car manufacturers, manufacturing more than 170,000 cars with the Datsun - Nissan brands of the Japanese car industry.
Furthermore we wish to emphasize the perfect location of our region, with combined transport (port, railway, airport, highway), availability of qualified technical and scientific personnel in conjunction with the University of Thessaly to establish a unique competitive advantage core that accentuates our areas attractiveness for high-demand investments.
Dear Minister, at a time when attracting investment is a commonplace, we look forward to including our area among those who will be evaluated as candidates to claim this investment, taking into account the above-mentioned advantages.
Remaining at your disposal for any useful contribution, we thank you in advance for your willingness for good cooperation."
George K. Andris is a correspondent for News Auto.
