Microsoft and Skanska’s office unit in Poland have signed an agreement on strategic cooperation in the area of PropTech. It provides for expert knowledge exchange and the use of advanced data analytics solutions, AI mechanisms and cloud computing to create breakthrough innovations for the office real estate sector. The partners will also work together to develop presentations of Skanska's development projects using mixed reality and Microsoft HoloLens glasses and the analytical part of the Connected by Skanska system.

Avison Young, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, a global commercial real estate services firm, enters the Polish market with the acquisition of UK-based GVA advisory company.

StudentMarketing, the international education and student housing research company, unveiled its rebrand as Bonard at a ceremony in the London icon, The Gherkin.

Serbia's Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure has issued a permit for the construction of the Kula Belgrade tower to Belgrade Waterfront, the developer of the Serbian capital’s largest real estate project, local media reports.

It is inevitable that the amount of capital invested in PropTech will increase in 2019 compared to the previous year. As property markets around the world are becoming more educated there is also more international cooperation on the horizon. James Dearsley and Eddie Holmes, the co-founders of global proptech platform Unissu.com talked to Property Forum about the global status of proptech in 2019 and the aims of their new venture.

Hungary’s investment market peaked in 2017 but a solid €1.8 billion was transacted in 2018 with local investors closing 65% of purchases on the buyer side. Property Forum summarised some of the key market trends presented at CBRE’s yearly Re-View business breakfast.

Developers and real estate investors completed land acquisitions with a cumulative value of around €245 million last year in Bucharest, a new record for the past ten years, according to the Cushman & Wakefield Echinox which has monitored 31 medium and large transactions.

Hungarian developer Wing has announced the acquisition of several buildings in Budapest’s Infopark office complex. The seller was Lone Star Funds – Hudson Global Advisors.

Morgan Stanley Real Estate Romania is reportedly considering the acquisition of the Hermes Business Campus office project in Northern Bucharest, according to zf.ro.

United Business Center 2 (UBC 2) in Timișoara was awarded a LEED Gold certification. UBC 2 adds up to 18,000 sqm leasable area and was opened in early 2017. The building is a part of the Openville Timișoara mixed-use project currently developed by Iulius and Atterbury Europe in the vicinity of Iulius Mall.