Bulgarian malt producer Malteries Soufflet, one of the world's three leading operators in the malt industry and a subsidiary of the European agricultural group InVivo, will invest €56 million in constructing a new malt plant near the city of Pleven.

One of the biggest transactions of the year in the Czech real estate market is about to take place. Negotiations for the sale of the OC Letňany shopping centre are supposedly ongoing in Prague. After six years, the German owner of the shopping centre is considering selling the property, writes HN.cz, as confirmed by two sources from the Central European M&A market.

Investor NREP wants to take control of property developer 7R. The Scandinavian fund has already acquired another Polish logistics developer, BIK SA, in 2021.

During the first quarter of 2023, the volume of investment in commercial real estate exceeded €477 million, a result that far exceeded initial expectations. The reason for these positive figures is a single large transaction into the retail property portfolio, which accounts for the majority of the total quarterly investment volume. This transaction is the reason why most of the funds in the past quarter went to the retail segment. Domestic investors were the most active last quarter, accounting for an unprecedented 87% of the total, according to Knight Frank's analysis of the Czech commercial real estate market.

Logicor continues expanding in the Czech Republic when it acquired a 100,000 sqm brownfield close to Prague, further strengthening its presence in this crucial market and nearly doubling its footprint.

For the first time, Zagreb Property Forum was organised in the Croatian capital, bringing together real estate experts from the local market and beyond. The event confirmed increasing interest by investors and developers for Croatia, especially following the country’s admission to the Eurozone and the Schengen Area. However, given the global macroeconomic climate, uncertainty persists.

Within 10 or 12 years, Penta wants to complete its brand new Southbank mixed-use project in Bratislava. The commencement of the construction of Southbank now depends on the permitting process and ongoing changes to the master plan, which are being overseen by the Bratislava City Council. Once the zoning changes are approved, construction could start within 1.5 to 2 years, estimates Michal Rehak, Business Director of Penta Real Estate Bratislava. According to him, the company does not want to disclose the cost of the project or the detailed schedule until the new Bratislava master plan is approved.

Penta Real Estate plans to diversify its real estate portfolio and is preparing for further expansion within Europe. It wants to establish a real estate fund for this purpose, as Marek Dospiva, co-owner of the group, revealed to E15.cz

Real estate investments have proven their qualities, especially in times of crisis and uncertainties. Therefore, they will remain an attractive investment possibility, says Jan Rydl, Country Manager Czech Republic at Arnold Investments. He talked to Property Forum about investment market trends.

Commercial property investments in Romania could hover between €700 and €900 million in 2023, slightly below the average of recent years, with new deals set to be driven by industrial and office projects, according to JLL.