Kromberg & Schubert to build Audi parts plant in Bitola, 2,000 new jobs
Kromberg & Schubert will expand in Bitola’s Zhabeni zone to produce cable harnesses for a new Audi model with over 3,000 units daily capacity.
German automotive supplier Kromberg & Schubert has announced a new production project in Bitola that is expected to create 2,000 jobs over the next four years, the prime minister said after a contract signing at the Government on 15 October 2026. The company will manufacture components for Audi at an expanded plant in the Zhabeni industrial zone.
New line to produce cable systems for an Audi model
The new facility will be focused on cable systems for a new Audi model, with a planned capacity of more than 3,000 cable harnesses per day. Company and government statements say the investment will introduce digitalisation, automation and modern production technologies.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski noted that Kromberg & Schubert currently employs about 5,300 people in Bitola and more than 1,700 in Skopje, and that the expansion could bring total employment in the country to around 10,000. Officials expect exports from the company's Macedonian operations to exceed €400 million in 2027.
Commercial director Gjorgji Trenkovski said part of the project's management will be relocated to Bitola, where local engineers will work on new technology development. He also said systems using artificial intelligence and automated cameras are already being introduced to improve quality and efficiency.
Trenkovski added the company plans a gradual replacement of foreign managers with domestic staff. Recruitment for the 2,000 new positions will prioritise Macedonian workers, though hiring of foreign employees will be considered if local candidates are insufficient.
The new jobs are to be created incrementally over four years. The precise financial value of the investment has not been specified in the official releases.
Photo: press material from the event
