While taking care of problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, office developers in Poland already plan their strategy for the expected supply gap in the years 2023-24. Jeroen van der Toolen, Managing Director CEE at Ghelamco summarises the year 2020 on the Polish office market and explains why professional office space will be a needed commodity in the long run.

Israeli investment group AFI Properties has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the T-Mobile Office Park in the Warsaw district of Mokotów for about €100 million. The previous owner was Starwood Capital Group.

The first 3 quarters of 2020 across the CEE-6 have seen a 37.5% decrease (year-on-year) in overall office investment volumes. With positive news of vaccines due for deployment early in the new year, offices volumes are expected to rebound in 2021 according to a new report by Colliers International.

Developed by Wing, the brand-new headquarters building of evosoft Hungary Kft., a Siemens subsidiary, was completed on time and tailored fully to the tenant’s needs. Located at the Buda end of the Rákóczi Bridge, the 22,000 sqm complex was completed as part of the second phase of the Hungarian Nobel Prize Winners R&D Park. The building, home to a six-storey research and development facility, is equipped with cutting-edge technology and meets Gold-level environmental friendliness and energy efficiency LEED certification criteria. Evosoft is expected to begin moving into the building in December 2020.

S Immo AG has purchased two properties of the Campus 6 business park in Bucharest from developer Skanska with a total investment volume of €97 million. The two buildings have a total leasable area of nearly 38,000 square metres and both are fully let. Key tenants are Microsoft and Société Générale.

As was the case in the global financial crisis, the number of companies looking for cost savings continues to grow, with some deciding to sublease their offices.

Warsaw Trade Tower, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Polish capital is now being managed by its owner, Globalworth.

The new direction of investing is clearly visible in the commercial real estate sector. Changes in the purpose of investments and building conversions are also on the increase.

The final stage of the Cluj Business Campus mixed-use project in Cluj-Napoca has been completed following a €27 million investment. The project comprises over 30,000 sqm of Class A office space and apartments.

Almost 70% of Gen Zers dream of a good atmosphere at work and being able to hone their skills, reveals "Gen Z: A Workplace of the Leaders of the Future", a report from Cushman & Wakefield.