Serbia’s Ministry of the Economy has pledged €3.5 million in subsidies to Rivian SE Europe to bolster its European technology centre and establish centres of excellence in Belgrade, the government announced.
The financial support will be disbursed in two instalments, with Rivian SE Europe receiving €3.2 million this year and the remaining amount in 2026.
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As a condition of the funding, the company must employ at least 370 people by the end of 2024 and invest $6.6 million in the planned facilities by the end of 2025. Additionally, Rivian SE Europe is required to maintain a workforce of at least 370 employees for a minimum of five years.
When Rivian SE Europe applied for the subsidy in August 2022, the company had no employees despite being founded a month earlier. By the end of 2023, its workforce had grown to 85.
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The company, a subsidiary of Rivian Europe B.V. based in Amsterdam, focuses on computer programming and serves as a development arm of U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive.
The research and development centre in Belgrade officially opened in December 2022. The Serbian government awarded the subsidies in December 2024, though the details have only recently been disclosed.