Business Forum • 28 October, 2026 at 11:36 AM
Romania's industrial and logistics market continued to expand in the first nine months of 2026, with modern stock reaching 8.17 million sqm by the end of Q3, according to the Romania Industrial Marketbeat Q3 2026 report by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. Deliveries of almost 340,000 sqm over the period represented an increase of more than 60% compared with the same period in 2025. Development activity accelerated through Q3, when developers completed 133,000 sqm, up 54% on Q2 and 15% on Q1.
Bucharest remains Romania's largest industrial and logistics market, with a stock of more than 4 million sqm, accounting for roughly half of the national total. Among regional markets, Timișoara holds approximately 808,000 sqm, followed by Ploiești with 575,000 sqm, Brașov with 511,000 sqm and Cluj-Napoca with 447,000 sqm. The largest Q3 delivery was 111,600 sqm at CTPark Bucharest West, occupied by Polish retailer LPP, owner of the Sinsay, Reserved, Mohito, House and Cropp brands. MLP Bucharest West, comprising 21,000 sqm, was also completed during the quarter.
Almost 80% of space currently under construction is concentrated around Bucharest, amounting to approximately 447,000 sqm, with the remainder in cities including Iași (40,000 sqm), Arad (31,500 sqm), Deva (15,300 sqm), Sibiu (15,000 sqm) and Cluj-Napoca (11,000 sqm). Projects under development include new phases at CTPark Bucharest West, VGP Park Bucharest East, WDP Park Dragomirești, WDP Park Ștefănești, ELI Park Bucharest and GARBE Park Bucharest.
On the demand side, take-up moderated to approximately 156,000 sqm in Q3, down from 329,000 sqm in Q2. Total take-up for the first nine months reached approximately 725,000 sqm, only 3% below the level recorded in the same period of 2025. Bucharest and Timișoara together accounted for roughly 75% of national take-up. The nationwide vacancy rate fell to 5.5%, with Bucharest at 4.4%, supported by built-to-suit completions in the quarter.
"The industrial and logistics market has not been immune to the challenging economic environment, marked by the energy crisis, rising costs and uncertainties that have influenced companies' investment and expansion decisions. However, the impact on the market has been mitigated by the sector's solid fundamentals," said Rodica Târcavu, Partner, Industrial Agency, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. "After the first nine months, take-up is only 3% below the level recorded in the corresponding period of last year, pointing to a moderation in leasing rather than a change in the overall trend. New transactions accounted for approximately 55% of total take-up, roughly 395,000 sqm, driven by tenants across all economic sectors. We expect demand to remain at healthy levels going forward, including in 2027."
Prime rents for industrial and logistics space in Bucharest held at €4.80 per sqm per month in Q3 2026, while most regional markets recorded increases, with prime rents converging towards a range of €4.50 to €4.65 per sqm per month. With construction and financing costs still elevated, landlords are holding firm on asking rents, which are expected to remain stable over the coming quarters.