Industrial investment volumes in Europe declined by 49% quarter-on-quarter, which was a 73% decline compared to Q1 2022. The Czech Republic is one of the three countries that has recorded the smallest decline in investment volumes year-on-year, Savills reported in the latest European Logistics Outlook. 

European businesses have for years been shifting manufacturing to remote locations, targeting Asia Pacific in particular. Recent global turmoil has, however, disrupted supply chains, revealing the length and complexity of processes enabling the sourcing, transport and consumption of various products. Furthermore, the growing significance of sustainability is compelling companies to rethink their business strategies. This is naturally shifting the focus of business to nearshoring and… to Poland. Cushman & Wakefield estimates that warehouse occupancy and operating costs in Poland are even over 50% lower than in some Western European countries.

The Slovak government has approved the Ministry of Economy's proposal to allocate €21 million to prepare three industrial parks in Slovakia through MH Invest.

The largest online perfume and cosmetics store in Europe has leased over 28,000 sqm of warehouse space in MDC2 Łódź South Park.

ViaPharma has signed a 20-year lease agreement with the developer CTP for two Czech CTParks. CTP will prepare and hand over the premises, with a total area of almost 27,000 sqm and several specific modifications for the pharmaceutical industry, at the end of 2023.

Transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has kicked off the construction of a new logistics project in Popești Leordeni, near Bucharest in a move designed to increase its storage capacity in the market.

Warehouse deliveries in Poland reached a historic high in the first quarter of the year, reveals the latest report from Cushman & Wakefield. Despite occupier activity remaining on a downward trend, Poland is still one of the fastest-growing warehouse and logistics markets in Europe.

IRE-TEX Praha, which designs, manufactures, and supplies packaging solutions, is moving part of its production, warehouse and offices to new premises in the Fáblovka industrial zone in Pardubice from October 2023. Savills mediated the five-year lease of the entire 7,500 sqm hall. IRE-TEX has two more production halls in Pilsen.

According to the report prepared by Newmark Polska, the first quarter of 2023 was dominated on the Polish warehouse and industrial market by the number two. Warehouse deliveries totalled almost two million sqm and close to two million sqm of warehouse space was available for immediate occupancy. There is just over two million sqm under construction, while Poland’s overall vacancy rate is now at its highest in over two years.

MLP Group has just launched a project to expand the MLP Bucharest West logistics park. The new building of about 16,000 sqm, being developed on a speculative basis, is scheduled for completion by the year’s end.