CTP announced changes and the expansion of its management team, both local and international. Ana Dumitrache, who has been the company’s Romanian Co-Country Head for 14 months, will leave CTP on 1 February to pursue a new career opportunity. Company COO Robert Pitt will take over the tasks of Ana Dumitrache. Remon Vos, CEO of CTP and Country Head for Romania will continue his position.

Prologis announced a successful pilot with Platio, a Hungarian start-up that provides aesthetic and space-saving renewable energy systems by integrating high-performance solar cells into sidewalk paving elements made of recycled plastic. Prologis Park Budapest-Harbor has become the first logistics park in the world to integrate this green technology into its daily operations.

Romanian industrial and logistics gross take-up increased in 2017 by almost 15% to over 525,000 square meters, registering a new record level, JLL reports.

Panattoni Europe has started the construction of the first logistics centre in Białystok. The developer’s new project – Panattoni Park Białystok – featuring roughly 40,600 sqm, is being executed in full. 50% of the space has already been commercialised. Completion of construction works on the entire investment is planned for the end of Q3 2018.

CTP will complete the construction of several warehouses and start new developments in its three logistics parks situated in the vicinity of the Romanian capital: CTPark Bucharest West, CTPark Bucharest and CTPark Bucharest North (former Chitila Logistic Park). It is estimated that by the end of 2018 their cumulated surface will reach approximately 680,000 sqm. CTP plans a total expansion of at least 300,000 sqm at national level.

Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 211,250 sqm in Q4 2017, marking a 58% year-on-year increase. The vacancy rate dropped to a new record low of 4%. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.

P3 has acquired a second logistics park near Lovosice, in the Ústí region of the Czech Republic, from HB Reavis. The new park, to be known as P3 Lovosice Cargo, comprises a single 43,500 sqm warehouse which is fully let to a long-term occupier and houses all of its business operations, including offices. P3 Lovosice Cargo has a direct rail link to the nearby international rail freight container terminal. Its accessibility is further enhanced by connections to Exits 45 and 48 on the recently opened D8 motorway.

Panattoni Europe is to build a distribution and online store service centre for SMYK. The facility, which will feature 70,000 sqm at full build-out, will be erected at the Panattoni Central European Logistics Hub in Łódź. The investment will be launched in early January and will proceed in a number of phases. The first 26,000 sqm is scheduled for commissioning in June 2018. The lease transaction was mediated by JLL.Panattoni Europe is to build a distribution and online store service centre for SMYK. The facility, which will feature 70,000 sqm at full build-out, will be erected at the Panattoni Central European Logistics Hub in Łódź. The investment will be launched in early January and will proceed in a number of phases. The first 26,000 sqm is scheduled for commissioning in June 2018. The lease transaction was mediated by JLL.

Rudolf Nemes will be joining CTP as Country Manager in Hungary, effective on January 8th, 2018, while István Pozderka became the company’s new Senior Business Developer in Hungary, effective on January 1st, 2018. The primary task of the new team will be to accelerate business growth and to strengthen the Hungarian platform in order to create the foundation of a sustainable future expansion.

Blackstone Property Partners Europe Lower Fund 2 plans to acquire 24 logistics centres from Goodman. The buyer intends to buy assets and shares in several companies which own properties in Poland, France and Germany.