Central Europe accounts for three out of Europe’s top five industrial locations

22 Jul, 2008, Europe

Three out of Europe’s top five markets with the best location for industrial/logistics facilities are in Central and Eastern Europe, according to the European Distribution Report 2008, produced biennially by global real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield (C&W).

(Download a copy of the full report from the Cushman & Wakefield Knowledge Centre)

The top position in this year’s ranking is retained by Belgium. In second place is the Netherlands, followed by Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland in fifth place, while Slovakia is the highest new entry at No. 9.

The European Distribution Report 2008 includes 25 country locations compared with 15 in previous editions. Reflecting the expansion of the European Union and the growth patterns of international business, most new entries are along Europe’s eastern boundaries.

The overall ranking is formed by analysing a range of weighted cost/benefit factors, including factors such as rents, labour costs, congestion, the size of freight markets by type, proximity to key markets and population densities (see Notes to Editors).

Steven Watt, Head of European Logistics & Industrial for Cushman & Wakefield, says: “With the continued globalisation of the world’s economies, supply chain management has become an increasingly critical issue for business. With the ongoing search for greater efficiency and value for money, activity in the European industrial and logistics markets remains high as the sector continues to expand and adapt in response to the varying and increasingly international needs of businesses and the ever increasing cost of oil .”

Ferdinand Hlobil, Head of Industrial for Cushman & Wakefield in Central Europe, says: “It comes as no surprise that the Central and Eastern European countries have risen up the ranking featured in the European Distribution Report. We are seeing these CEE markets steadily mature as distribution hubs and lines are developed to supply the growing local markets as well as business continuing to seek a cheaper cost base.”

wever, as shown in the European Distribution Report published by Cushman & Wakefield, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany, continue to be the focus of economic activity, as well as home to Europe’s key ports and airports for freight, and hence in terms of overall size still dominate the European industrial and logistics market. The top five prime industrial rents are also all in Western European locations – London (Heathrow), Dublin, Barcelona, Stockholm and Amsterdam (Schiphol).

Steven Watt continues: “Central & Eastern Europe are maturing and growing markets, with tremendous near and mid-term potential. However, for the moment the geographical axis of the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany still form the economic powerhouse of Europe, and thus remain home to the region’s biggest industrial/logistics markets.”

The report also reveals how, across the greater European region, occupiers are showing a preference for locating in regional cities in order to escape problems of land shortages and traffic congestion in the capital cities, as well as being attracted by lower rental levels. Examples can be seen in both Poland and Germany.

And the future?

Steven Watt continues: “We are now entering a very different, more challenging economic climate where cost efficiencies and key locations will be even more important – the mantra for real estate decisions will be ‘strategic location, location, location’.”

“New developments, in particular the growth of the port of Constanta on Romania’s Black Sea coast, as it develops as a shipping route from China, and the construction of a new deep water port in Gdansk in Poland, may also have a part to play in the future reshaping of the European distribution map.”

For further information please contact:

Chris Bond

Cushman & Wakefield

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7152 5006 / +44 (0)7793 808 006

Visit Cushman & Wakefield’s Knowledge Center at www.cushmanwakefield.com to access this and other reports on leading real estate issues, trends and market statistics from around the world.

Notes to Editors:

1. The 16 weighted cost/benefit factors to be taken into consideration when drawing up the overall ranking of Europe’s industrial/logistics locations include: rents, land prices, building costs, labour costs, road density, road congestion, rail density, road freight, rail freight, air freight, shipping freight, population density, access to EU core, access to the east, availability > 10,000 sq m and land supply.

2. Cushman & Wakefield is the world’s largest privately held commercial real estate services firm. Founded in 1917, it has 221 offices in 58 countries and more than 15,000 employees. The firm represents a diverse customer base ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. It offers a complete range of services within four primary disciplines: Transaction Services, including tenant and landlord representation in office, industrial and retail real estate; Capital Markets, including property sales, investment management, valuation services, investment banking, debt and equity financing; Client Solutions, including integrated real estate strategies for large corporations and property owners, and Consulting Services, including business and real estate consulting. A recognized leader in global real estate research, the firm publishes a broad array of proprietary reports available on its online Knowledge Center at www.cushmanwakefield.com.

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