Following its launch in Spain and the United Kingdom, Europe’s only independent office search network now extends to yet another CEE country. After Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Spain and the United Kingdom the portal has now opened to the Czech office market, presenting offices to let on www.kancelareinfo.cz.
Good transportation links, the latest technological infrastructure, quality services, environmentally friendly construction and operation – these are the complex demands of the 21st century. Only a small number of properties in the Hungarian office market are able to satisfy these demands. Science Park owned by Heitman European Property Partners IV has recently been awarded a BREEAM in Use “Very Good” rating in all three possible categories, a unique achievement in Central and Eastern Europe.Demand for environmentally friendly office buildings is constantly growing among tenants in Central and Eastern Europe. With a building of this kind, besides the environmental impacts there are also some important economic considerations, as maintaining such a facility is less expensive, enabling the companies that rent office space to achieve considerable savings on their office rental and maintenance costs. In Hungary, AIG/Lincoln had a pioneering role in The Quadrum, the first building in the country to be rated “Very Good” under the BREEAM* rating system, which was awarded in 2006 on the basis of the building's designs.
Heitman and AIG/Lincoln cooperation on the Science Park certification has resulted in the only facility in Central and Eastern Europe to achieve this in all three possible categories: “asset”, “building management” and “occupier management” (Ericsson). Contributing to the “Very Good” certification was the 2012 investment by Science Park in a heat recovery system reusing the waste heat from building mechanical systems to supplement the perimeter heating in the office areas. During the implementation of this project the entire building management system was replaced, and the building mechanical systems were also upgraded. Based on measurements taken in the first quarter of 2013, the building's winter gas consumption decreased by almost 60% and electricity consumption in common areas by close to 10%. Due to the unique solutions put in place in the office building, in addition to the energy and cost savings, the building’s environmental impact was also dramatically reduced.
The almost 30 000m2 Science Park has maintained 95% occupancy since it was completed in 2004. The largest tenant is Ericsson – the company’s Budapest research and development centre is housed here – which in 2012 both expanded the scope and extended the term of its rental agreement.
According to the company’s deputy CEO Roland Jakab, important considerations when choosing the site were the proximity of the universities, the green environment, the excellent transportation links and the fact that the part of the building they occupy was fully customised to suit their needs. In 2009 Ericsson set the objective of reducing its carbon footprint by 40% over a period of five years. This company managed to fulfil this undertaking in four years, primarily through systematic developments applied across their product range, and by increasing the energy-efficiency of their products. Ericsson is working to transform “Technology for Good” from vision to action all around the world. It aims to use its expertise and innovations to provide solutions to global challenges, and is working to create a more sustainable world. Ericsson’s commitment to environmental protection has contributed greatly to Science Park's success.Science Park’s BREEAM designation adds to its unique value proposition and existing amenities including a restaurant, café, covered smoking area, bicycle racks and car wash. The office building is located in a greenbelt area, and is easily approachable both on foot and by public transport. These features all help to promote environmentally friendly transport and a healthy working environment, which are critical components of sustainable buildings of the future.
The mood at MIPIM 2014 was overwhelmingly positive with 85% of property professionals declaring that they are feeling ‘bullish’ about the European commercial real estate market, according to a recent opinion poll by global property advisor CBRE. CBRE surveyed more than 300 property professionals at MIPIM 2014 - the world's biggest property forum held in Cannes - to discover current sentiment in the European commercial real estate market.
GREET or “Global Real Estate and Economy Talks“, international platform for commercial real estate and investments in Central, Eastern and South-eastern Europe, is now into its second round to be held on 19 and 20 May, 2014 at Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna.
Along with the new programme item “finvienna“ the conference will offer additional elements “healthvienna“ and ”Lounge-Talks“.
Germany is the most sought after retail market in the world with 40% of global retailers planning to open a store there in 2014, while US retailers dominate large-scale expansion plans with almost half aiming to open 40 stores or more, according to the latest research from global property advisor CBRE.
Austrian quality shoe brand HÖGL opened its new store in Hungary on Andrássy út with the assistance of CBRE. This latest unit, located on Budapest’s prominent luxury high street is HÖGL’s largest store in the region.
Following years of prosperity in Europe, during which hundreds of thousands of square metres of office space have been leased, the International Office Search Network has now extended to the UK.
According to the latest data from CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services company, strong office leasing activity during 2013 was registered across Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). Nearly all of its markets saw leasing activity increasing and reaching results above the recent five year average.
