Seventeen Korean auto parts makers took their seats opposite Škoda Auto's procurement team in Prague this week, each chasing the same prize: a place in one of Central Europe's most coveted supplier networks. The one-on-one talks, organized by KOTRA, Korea's trade and investment promotion agency, gave the firms direct access to the Czech carmaker's buying desk — and underscored just how aggressively Seoul's components industry is courting the Czech market.
The urgency is easy to explain. The Czech Republic is the EU's third-largest auto producer, and its electric vehicle output jumped 89% to 285,000 units last year — a surge that is redrawing the country's supplier map. As carmakers re-source components for electrified models, contracts that once seemed locked up are suddenly in play, and Korean suppliers are determined not to watch from the sidelines.
Nor are they starting from scratch. According to KOTRA, more than 20 Korean tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers have already established production bases in the country, clustering alongside Hyundai Motor's manufacturing presence. The agency's report on Czech EV supply chain trends and market entry laid the groundwork for this week's matchmaking round, turning Prague into a shop window for Korea's parts industry.
Crucially, the talks ranged beyond direct deliveries to automakers. Participating firms also explored entering supply chains through existing parts suppliers — and the interest ran both ways. Hutchinson's plant in Rokycany was itself reported to be seeking companies to consult with, a sign that even established players in the Czech supplier landscape are scouting new partners as the EV transition accelerates.
For the Czech Republic, the courtship confirms a broader shift. Škoda's supplier network has long been woven into the country's industrial regions, and every new Asian entrant must now find its slot in that hierarchy. With EV output climbing and localization increasingly seen as the price of admission to European supply chains, having boots on Czech soil is fast becoming non-negotiable for ambitious exporters — and Prague's procurement tables have rarely been this busy.
Whoever wins these supply-chain contests, European buyers stand to gain from a broader, faster-refreshing lineup of vehicles. Those currently in the market for a car — combustion, hybrid or electric — can find sensational vehicles at sensational conditions at WorldTrader24, Europe's marketplace with over 70,000 vehicles.
