Prologis, a global leader in logistics real estate, continues to uphold a strong track record of high occupancy in Slovakia. In 2024, the occupancy rate at Prologis Park Bratislava reached 99.6%, outperforming both national and European averages. "Our consistently high occupancy rate confirms that demand for premium logistics space in the region remains strong," says Jakub Randa, Senior Leasing Manager at Prologis Slovakia. The Bratislava region’s high attractiveness is also confirmed by the Prologis Logistics Rent Index 2024, which shows that Bratislava leads the European ranking in rental growth, followed by Utrecht, Paris, and Rome. Globally, Bratislava ranks seventh.
"We have gained several new customers during the last few years and we have been able to successfully extend almost all of our expiring contracts. We are particularly pleased to have extended a long-term contract with a key manufacturer and supplier in the automotive industry, alongside renewals with customers in retail and logistics,” says Randa. At the same time, logistics service providers (3PLs) have been optimizing inventories and consolidating activities —a trend observed throughout the past year. In general, the 2024 demand was driven by companies in the manufacturing, e-commerce, retail, and automotive sectors. In total, Prologis closed 14 transactions and leased 72,300 m² of space in 2024 - 53,200 m² in extensions to existing contracts, 9,900 m² in expansions and 5,400 m² was leased to a new customer in the food industry. By the end of 2024, Prologis was leasing space to 43 customers in Slovakia.
E-commerce and nearshoring driving further growth
“We are seeing increased activity in Central European markets, and we anticipate the industrial leasing market to have a good prospect, especially during the second half of the year. This includes resumption of growth in the 3PL sector, which experienced slight stagnation in Slovakia last year. At Prologis, we are fully prepared to accommodate our customers' potential expansion plans,” Randa notes and adds: “In the first half of the year, companies and investors might remain cautious. However, we believe that both demand and industrial space and investment activity will pick up again in the second half of 2025. Their development will be influenced by factors such as geopolitical uncertainties, planned legislative measures including the introduction of transaction tax, the economic situation of developed western countries and others.” On the other hand, Slovakia can be perceived as a safe haven for companies planning to bring their production closer to their end customers as a part of the so-called nearshoring trend.
Growth expectations are supported by CBRE research, which analyzed occupier behavior across European industries in mid-2024. The study suggests that short-term expansion will be primarily driven by the retail sector, with 58% of respondents expecting further expansion in the medium term. Two ongoing trends in particular are expected to play a significant role in future growth activity - nearshoring (moving production to areas closer to end customers) and the rise of online trading. "According to the European retail data, the current retail e-commerce penetration in Europe is at around 16% and should reach 18% over the next three years. While Czech consumers are already above the European average in online shopping, Slovak consumers remain more conservative, with penetration at just 10%—giving significant room for growth," explains Jakub Randa. According to Prologis Research, every 1% increase in e-commerce penetration generates demand for an additional 2 million square meters of warehouse space in retail.
Prologis Park Bratislava: A Strategic Hub
Prologis Park Bratislava is the company’s largest logistics facility in Central Europe, spanning more than 500,000 square meters. Its success is driven by its strategic location in the heart of Europe, allowing tenants to efficiently serve multiple European markets. Situated just 20 km from Bratislava and 16 km from the airport, the park also boasts excellent connections to Austria and Hungary. In addition to temperature control, the warehouse buildings are equipped with Smart Metering for efficient monitoring and management of energy consumption, charging stations for electric vehicles, rest areas and advanced site security. Further development of the site is possible on approximately 244,000 square meters of land intended primarily for BTS development.