The Czech industrial & logistics real estate market has changed beyond all recognition over the past five years, with the total stock of logistics and warehouse space rising 66% over the period, driven by strong growth in e-commerce and retail, according to Colliers International’s latest Czech Industrial & Logistics Market Barometer.

Cushman & Wakefield has been responsible for the audit of the Focus office building and obtaining a BREEAM IN-USE International certificate for the scheme. The office complex, located at 26 Ludowej Avenue in Warsaw, received an “Excellent” rating in Building Management and a “Very Good” rating in Asset Performance.

BMO Real Estate Partners announced the purchase of a high end department store in Prague, which is occupied by Van Graaf, on behalf of its pan-European retail property investment fund. BMO Real Estate Partners acquired the building from MTK Developments, a Vienna-based European real estate firm specialising in value-add investments.

In the past 18 months, three major Chinese logistics providers leased almost 100,000 sqm of new warehouse premises, one of them being 68,000 sqm leasing agreement in VGP Park Jeneč signed by the company 4PX Express (logistics operator of Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba). This transaction ranks among the largest single industrial transactions of this year. Chinese concentration on the Czech market is expected to continue as there are several other major transactions currently underway.

Labour force is the key factor for auto player’s location decision-making process - says Colliers International in its latest research. The auto producers and component suppliers sector is very important in CEE industrial and is growing. Auto exports ranged from 4.7% of total exports in 2015 in Bulgaria, upwards to 28.0% in Hungary and 34.6% in Slovakia, growing at a regionally-weighted annual rate of 7.4% in the period 2010-2015.

CTP is currently expanding three of its Slovakian industrial parks for three separate clients. The new developments in Bratislava, Nitra and Voděrady are due to be completed within the following months.

Băneasa Developments, the operator of Baneasa Shopping City in the northern part of Bucharest, plans to expand the mall by 127,000 sqm. The developer plans to invest over to €300 million until 2026.

CTP continues its accelerated growth by acquiring Chitila Logistic Park, near Buchares, Romania. The transaction was concluded in September and the value of the investment reaches €17.3 million. CLP has been purchased from UBM Development. This acquisition is part of CTP’s strategy of reaching a total leasable area of approximately 1 million sqm in Romania by the end of 2018.

According to Property Forum’s survey, real estate professionals in CEE are not afraid of future technologies and they think that just because the way we work is changing that doesn’t mean that we will need less office space in the future.

Central Poland, Prague and Bucharest are among the most desirable logistics locations in Europe, according to a new research by Prologis that examines why logistics customers in Europe choose certain locations over others.