Industrial and logistics facilities across CEE are under growing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce energy consumption and adapt to workforce and sustainability challenges. Silviu Bulzan, Sales Leader Office & Industry SEE at Signify, discusses how connected infrastructure, data and AI are changing facility management, and why lighting is evolving from a basic utility into a tool for improving productivity, safety and ESG performance.
STRABAG Property and Facility Services (STRABAG PFS), a subsidiary of construction group STRABAG, signed an agreement on 11 August 2026 to acquire 100 per cent of the shares in Brenneka Install SRL and Samivo Instal SRL, two companies within the Brenneka Group headquartered in Bacău, Romania. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.
CTP has delivered a 56,000 sqm distribution centre for LPP Logistics at CTPark Bucharest West, completing the project in under a year from the signing of the lease agreement. The facility is now operational and will support LPP Group's supply chain across South-Eastern Europe, serving stores in Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, as well as the continued growth of the fashion brand Sinsay. Situated adjacent to LPP Logistics' e-commerce fulfilment centre opened in late 2025, the two buildings together form a logistics hub handling both bricks-and-mortar retail and online orders.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), through its Growth Markets Fund II (GMF II), announced financial close for the 392 MW Peștera II onshore wind project in Constanța County. The project represents one of the larger investments in new renewable energy infrastructure in Romania and one of the larger project finance transactions in CEE.
The Eastern European construction market is facing a cooling period of "little less optimism", while Southeast Europe shows signs of stabilizing with a "little less pessimism", according to the Eastern European Construction Forecasting Association (EECFA) 2026 Summer Construction Forecast released on 22 June 2026. Despite the shifting sentiment, both regions are projected to sustain the record-high output levels achieved in 2025 through to 2028.
Office markets across the six largest CEE capital cities, Prague, Warsaw, Budapest, Bucharest, Bratislava, and Sofia, have entered a new phase characterized by a severe supply crunch.
Lavinia Ioniță Rasmussen, NNDKP Real Estate Partner, tells Property Forum that institutional investors have constructive outlook on Bucharest's real estate market. At the same time, she expects retail, logistics and renewable energy to drive mandates for NNDKP's real estate practice this year.
Solida Capital has announced its first residential development in Romania, a boutique project in Sector 1, Bucharest, as part of a joint venture with Radox.
Gijs Klomp, Head of Business Development at WDP Romania, talked to Property Forum about the company's strategic focus on long-term tenant partnerships and built-to-suit developments. He detailed how infrastructure improvements and the defence sector are creating new industrial growth.
European investors continue to lead commercial real estate investment across the continent, accounting for 48% of activity in Q1 2026, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate data. American investors follow with 31%, while Asia Pacific investors represent just 7% and Middle Eastern investors 2%.
NEPI Rockcastle said its Q1 net rental and related income (NOI) reached €157.7 million, up 3.4% versus Q1 2025. Property NOI increased 3.2% to €155.4 million, while net revenue from energy activities rose to €2.3 million, reflecting the scaling of the group's renewable energy platform.
CEE real estate investment rebounded strongly in 2025, with volumes reaching €11.6 billion across six core markets, representing a 31% year-on-year increase according to Colliers.
The average total office fit-out costs in Bucharest increased slightly in 2025 to around €1,000 per sqm, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox. However, Bucharest remains one of the most affordable markets in CEE, with fit-out costs 18% and 15% lower than in Warsaw and Prague, respectively.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania could raise labour productivity by up to 10 to 15% through wider adoption of digital technologies, particularly software and AI-enabled tools, according to a report by World Bank Group.
Commercial property investment in CEE rebounded strongly in 2025, with a combined volume of €11.3 billion across Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. This represents a 34% year-on-year increase and stands 24% above the five-year average, according to data by Knight Frank.
NEPI Rockcastle, the largest owner of shopping centres in CEE, said its net operating income rose 11.2% year-on-year to a record €618 million in 2025, while the distributable earnings increased 6.7% to €441 million.
In a video interview recorded at CEE Property Forum 2025 in Vienna, Marek Noetzel, COO of NEPI Rockcastle and incoming CEO from April 2026, shares his outlook on retail trade across the region, the company's growth strategy and his priorities for the next phase of leadership.
Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
Energy company Electrica informs investors and the capital market that it has obtained the technical grid connection permits (ATR) for 17 new battery energy storage projects (BESS), with a total capacity of approximately 700 MWh.
The European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalisation following the conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, the challenge extends beyond the normalisation of interest rates.
Romania's national electricity transmission network operator, Transelectrica, has halted scheduled maintenance shutdowns to ensure the grid operates at maximum capacity during an ongoing extreme heatwave. The preventive measures aim to mitigate operational risks associated with severe weather conditions.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.
