Gross take-up on the Czech industrial market reached 420,300 sqm in Q1 2018., showing an increase of 41% compared to the same period of last year. The Industrial Research Forum announced the final industrial market figures for Q1 2018.

IAD Investments, the oldest independent Slovak asset management company, has acquired the Dunaharaszti industrial park next to Budapest. The acquisition of the logistics complex was made on behalf of its Prvý realitný fond, a mutual fund investing throughout Central Europe. This is the first fund acquisition made in Hungary and it means the successful entrance to the Hungarian real estate market.

Prologis announced the launch of construction of Prologis Park Brno, a new logistics park in the Czech Republic, with the first speculative development of 27,860 square metres. The building is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2018.

Total demand on the Budapest industrial market amounted to 103,790 sqm in Q1 2018, marking a 45% year-on-year increase. At the end of the first quarter, there were only four existing schemes with more than 5,000 sqm of available warehouse space. The Budapest Research Forum published its quarterly industrial market analysis.

CTP will deliver another logistics park in Cluj county by the end of this year. The 30,000 sqm CTPark Cluj II will be completed in three phases.

After the recent start of construction works at LiNK Hradec Králové Linkcity has announced the launch of another project. The developer has received a planning permit for a logistics park in the industrial zone Nitra – Lužianky, located near the R1 motorway in Slovakia.

Polish developer 7R plans to set up a network of small business unit (SBU) warehouses across Poland under the 7R City Flex brand. Tenants will be able to sign one joint contract for the lease of warehouse space in several different locations as part of the City Flex program.

Panattoni Europe will build the main warehouse for Leroy Merlin in Central Poland, Łódź voivodeship. The facility will exceed 123,600 sqm at ground level, which makes it a record-breaking project in the Polish warehouse market. Construction works are scheduled to begin already in Q2 of this year and are expected to end in Q4 2019. The facility will undergo the BREEAM environmental certification process aiming for a Good rating.

Panattoni Europe has completed the construction of two warehousing facilities with a total area of approximately 42,500 sqm for Raben Logistics Poland. The logistics’ new branch was built as a part of Panattoni Park Grodzisk III and is adapted to store approx. 50,000 pallets. The facility employs over 300 people and is able to serve over 85,000 shipments a day.

The CEO of CTP believes that logistics is a future-proof investment product that can make or break a company's success. The developer is moving ahead with full speed and hopes to increase its portfolio to 8 million sqm within the next few years. Remon Vos talked to Property Forum in Budapest about current plans and the future of industrial/logistics as an asset class.