According to Savills latest research using Pitchbook data, €13.2bn of venture capital (VC) was raised by European headquartered life science companies between 2014 and 2018, resulting in over 650,000 sqm of office and lab deals across selected European life science markets between 2016 and 2020. Biotechnology and nanotechnology industries are also developing rapidly in Poland.

Union Investment and GARBE Industrial Real Estate jointly acquired the first logistics property for their “UII Garbe Logistik Fonds” investment fund. The seller is the Karimpol Group, a privately held property developer active in Eastern and Central Europe for over 30 years. It was agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction.

The office sector accounted for 66% of total investment volumes recorded in Romania’s commercial real estate sector in the first semester. Deals worth close to €290 were closed in the first half, down 41% year-on-year, according to a report by real estate consultancy Colliers. 

Aareal Bank announced the closing of a financing agreement with developer Ghelamco Group at the end of the second quarter of 2021. As sole agent, arranger and lender, Aareal Bank is providing a senior loan in the amount of €312.5 million to the family-owned real estate group, which is mainly active in the office, residential, retail, leisure and logistics markets.

Most of the capital invested in commercial real estate in Central and Eastern Europe in the first half of this year went to Poland. According to Walter Herz, the forecasts for the domestic investment market are very optimistic

AIA Group Limited has formed a strategic partnership with GLP to invest in the global logistics real estate industry and related opportunities.

Romanian developer One United Properties recorded a turnover of 434 million lei (€88.1 million) and a net profit of 147.5 million lei (€29.9 million) in the first semester over improved revenue from the development and sale of residential properties. 

MLP Group has released consolidated financial results for the first half of 2021, showing revenue of PLN 97.6m, up 16% year on year, and net profit of PLN 166.5m, up 38% year on year. Equity (net assets) rose 24% in the first six months of the year, to PLN 1.5bn, with gross investment property having advanced by 16%, to PLN 2.7bn.

GARBE Industrial Real Estate Poland has acquired a new flagship production and warehouse facility of Hubergroup located in Wroclaw. The parties have signed a Preliminary Purchase Agreement for a new 22,000 sqm Build-to-Suit facility, on a 20-year term sale & leaseback transaction.

Poland’s largest cities only slightly adjust their planned investments due to the lower earnings caused by COVID-19. Similarly, zoning development plans are also not slowing down - as seen in talks between Urban Land Institute Poland (ULI Poland) and five cities involved in the project, “Around the city in 8 questions”. The series of discussions is expected to continue into the Fall, with another three meetings already planned.