Prologis has completed the sale of a high-quality portfolio of buildings and land in Europe and the United States to a Singapour-based Mapletree for $1.1 billion.

What is the size of the e-commerce marketplace in the CEE region? How much more might online sales activity grow in the coming years? What are the implications for the demand for the logistics and retail real estate arenas in the CEE-6 countries? The latest research by Colliers International assesses these key questions that will shape the marketplace for real estate space in these sectors going forward. 

Prologis celebrated the topping out of the first facility at its new Prologis Park Łódź. The roof progress means construction of the 16,500 square meter building is on track for completion in early 2019. The park has the development potential for three facilities totalling 93,000 square meters.

According to Colliers International’s EMEA Industrial & Logistics Hubs report, demand for industrial and warehouse property rose in 50% of EMEA markets in 1H 2018, up from 35% in 2H 2017, driven by strong occupier sentiment, and despite challenges in the overall economy such as protectionism fears and trade tensions between the US and close trading partners in the EU.

Panattoni Europe has launched a new project, Panattoni Park Bielsko-Biała III, which is with close to 68,500 sqm is the largest investment project in the Podbeskidzie region. The complex has already secured its first tenants, including Seifert Logistics Group (7,500 sqm) and an interior design company (3,600 sqm), who will be able to move into the facility in spring 2019.

At the end of September or in early October, the Accolade Fund will exceed the symbolic mark 500,000 sqm of fully occupied rental space for light industry, e-commerce and logistics. This will move the Fund closer to another magical mark: CZK 10 billion worth of properties under its management. If all pending transactions are taken into account, the Fund’s rental property portfolio will increase to 515,000 sqm, worth in total €351.5 million, which is more than CZK 9 billion.

JLL has appointed David Vais as head of its Industrial Agency in the Czech Republic. Vais joins JLL from CTP Invest, where he worked for over 4 years as Senior Business Development Manager for the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Prologis announced two appointments at its Central and Eastern European project management operations. The appointments are designed to enhance the company’s capabilities for developing complex projects within a specified budget and time frame.

Prologis has begun construction of a new 10,000 square meter speculative facility at Prologis Park Budapest-Harbor in Hungary. Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2019, just six months after the start of the development.

Local real estate developer Global Vision, controlled by Romanian investor Sorin Preda, has started a €200 million industrial development project on a 100 ha land it acquired last year near Constanta’s port.