Even though logistics is the real estate sector least affected by the current economic downturn, tenants are still looking to cut costs and this is what landlords need to respond to. Ana Dumitrache, Country Head at CTP Romania, who will be a speaker at our upcoming SEE Property Forum 2020 in Bucharest, talked to us about how COVID-19 has impacted the company’s operations, what tenants are looking for and how an ambitious expansion strategy can be executed.

The I&L sector in the CEE-17 has become one of the most sought-after asset types since 2019, after offices and residential according to Colliers International, CMS and Randstad. The report revealed that some of the key challenges in this sector include the availability of land and property in locations that meet both the developers and end-user expectations, along with the availability and reliability of utilities, connectivity to transport infrastructure, the availability and skills of the labour pool, and access to investment incentives.

Panattoni is expanding in Upper Silesia. The developer has started the construction of Panattoni Park Ruda Śląska III, which will eventually have an area of 70,000 sqm. The project is in the middle of the Silesian conurbation near the A1 and A2 motorways, which will give it excellent connections to the most important towns and cities of both the region and the country.

Developer P3 has received approval for two new halls at P3 Mladá Boleslav, Hall 3 with an area of ​​3,900 sqm and Hall 4 with an area of ​​5,000 sqm.

According to Savills, the impact of the pandemic is set to accelerate online retail penetration by an average of one year and, in turn, drive demand for prime logistics space in Europe.

Gábor Futó, the founder of Futureal and Cordia has funded a new industrial and logistics property development and investment company, HelloParks. The firm will operate as a member of Futureal Group and is headed by Rudolf Nemes. HelloParks aims to obtain a leading position of this dynamically growing segment, as a first step in Hungary, later on in the whole CEE market. Expanding the group’s portfolio will also contribute to Hungary becoming a true regional logistics center.  

Eight regionally renowned experts discussed real estate investment strategies for the post-COVID-19 world at the online edition of CEE Property Forum 2020, organised by Property Forum and RICS. We summarised the highlights of the discussion, moderated by Luke Dawson, Managing Director & Head of Capital Markets CEE at Colliers International.

Globalworth and Global Vision have leased part of the first warehouse delivered within Constanța Business Park to PepsiCo. The company will lease storage space of approximately 6,000 square meters and an office area of ​​550 square meters.

JLL announced the first edition of the Sofia City Report, a semiannual publication which provides a detailed view of specific real estate markets in Sofia: office, retail and warehouses. It offers information on the economic situation in Bulgaria, including the investment climate. The report was made with the support of IPC Partners Bulgaria.

Panattoni is to build a city park in Kraków - City Logistics Kraków I will have a total area of 36,500 sqm. The first of two buildings is to be ready in September 2021 and the first tenant, a logistics operator specialising in last mile deliveries, has already leased 9,040 sqm. Panattoni's latest project will play a crucial link in the chain from online store to courier company and finally on to consumer.