2017 was the best year ever for Poland's industrial market with gross demand totalling 3.9 million sqm, JLL reports. Retailers and logistics operators continued to drive the market, together accounting for more than 65% of net take-up in 2017.

Automation, e-mobility and big data can completely change the game in logistics over the coming years. Martin Polák, Senior Vice President and Regional Head for CEE at Prologis talked to Property Forum about the future of European industrial and logistics markets.

Panattoni Europe will develop a manufacturing facility for Pilkington IGP. The project will take up more than 10,000 sqm at Panattoni Park Białystok. Production will be launched by early September this year, and at the initial stage of operations the plant will employ approx. 200 people.

Prologis announced its full-year 2017 activity for its business in Central and Eastern Europe. Last year the developer reached a record-breaking occupancy of 97.4 percent, leased of 1.6 million of space, delivered 15 buildings and launched 9 new developments.

The Polish warehouse market remains in great shape. New year-to-year records are being broken. Gross demand amounted to 4 million sqm, of which 75% was made up of new lease agreements and expansions. This is a 32% improvement compared to 2016. High demand side results are due to the accelerating economy, including internal consumption growing month by month, and an increase in investment by companies. Developers responded quickly to high demand from tenants, resulting in 2.36 million sqm delivered on the market and 1.39 million sqm under construction at the end of 2017. The high level of absorption caused the vacancy rate decrease to 4.5%, according to the report summarising 2017 in the warehouse space market in Poland, prepared by AXI IMMO experts.

French-owned international retailer Auchan Retail is poised to increase its commercial capacity in Hungary with a new, integrated logistics centre at Üllő Airport Logistics Centre near Budapest. The 87,200 sqm, greenfield facility will be the largest of its kind ever built in Hungary and is being developed by Goodman. The new hub will be key to Auchan Retail’s strategy to develop a multi-channel offer for Hungarian customers.

A 20,000 square meter logistic centre was taken over by SEG Automotive's domestic unit, which specializes in the development and production starter motors and generators. The technologically advanced warehouse – featuring indoor GPS-tracking – is the largest interconnected hall in the region.

CTP and DSV, the fifth biggest global transport and logistics companies, signed a leasing agreement for approximately 40,000 sqm in CTPark Bucharest West. CTP invested about €12 million in the development of the new logistics spaces occupied by the Danish company in the first days of February.

Panattoni Europe is expanding Central European Logistics Hub. The new tenant at the developer’s largest distribution centre is the Media Expert chain, which will take up a facility with approx. 73,300 sqm of space. Construction works will start in Q2 of 2018.

In 2017, the Polish industrial market continued to develop at a high level. The intense activity among developers, who delivered over 2.3 million sqm to the market, and among tenants who leased nearly 4.6 million sqm, led to another record for both sides – according to the latest report by Colliers International.