In Q1 2018, industrial space totalling 181,900 sqm was completed across the Czech Republic, but speculative construction accounted only for 2% of all new developments. The Industrial Research Forum announced the preliminary industrial market figures for Q1 2018.

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.

Panattoni Europe has completed the construction of a large-scale logistics centre for BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego. The 79,000-square-metre BTS facility with its own railway siding was delivered in Łódź, at the largest distribution complex in Poland, Central European Logistics Hub.

CTP is significantly expanding activities on the Hungarian market. The company announced two new land acquisitions in strategic locations during its presentation for real estate agents and journalists. The first plot of land is located in Biatorbágy, and the second land plot is near Dunaharaszti, which is one of CTP’s newest locations. These acquisitions are a result of CTP’s expansion plan, which will increase the value of assets owned by the group in Hungary from €250 million to €320 million by the end of 2018.

The EBRD and ING Romania are joining forces to finance the logistics park CTPark, situated on the A1 Bucharest-Pitesti motorway and 2 km away from the Romanian capital. The financiers have arranged a package of €96 million, of which the EBRD is providing €43.8 million and ING €52.2 million.

Although nearly 120,000 square meters of new industrial / logistics space was delivered to the Budapest market in 2017 which is almost double of the figure delivered in 2016. It may still occur that by the end of the year the available warehouse units with 5,000 sqm+ space will disappear from the Budapest market and its surrounding area, according to Colliers International's latest industrial property market report.

In 2017, CTP increased its portfolio by approximately 680,000 sqm and reached a record 4.5 million sqm. Occupancy of its industrial real estate — spread across over 82 locations in the region — came to 97.7%. The greatest expansion occurred in the Romanian and Hungarian markets. By 2022, CTP aims to double its portfolio, reaching 10 million sqm.

LS Cable, a Korean manufacturing company, has decided to launch its division in Dzierżoniów - in the region of Lower Silesia. The facility will be established within an existing object offering 10,000 sqm. Experts from JLL represented LS Cable in the processes of seeking the appropriate property and negotiating purchase conditions.

Prologis has already fully leased its new 28,300 sqm speculative facility now under construction at Prologis Park Prague-Uzice in the Czech Republic. Construction of Building 3 began in January 2018 and was launched due to high demand for space at the fully occupied park.