Accolade continues expansion in western Poland with its industrial parks from Jelenia Góra to Szczecin

The value of the latest investments in the expansion of the Goleniów park and in the construction of a new Jelenia Góra park amounts to EUR 71 million. These two expansions follow a number of the Group's previous investment activities along Poland's western border. In 2016, for the first time in western Poland, the Group injected funds into the development of a modern industrial park in the Szczecin region, which has gradually become the largest park in Accolade's portfolio with an area of 230,000 sqm.

For last few years, Accolade has been continuously pursuing significant growth of the Western Poland region, opening parks in Goleniów (63900 sqm), Gorzów Wielkopolski (53 500 sqm), Zielona Góra (128000 sqm), Legnica (61200 sqm), and Koszalin (13600 sqm). Accolade's investment activities have placed it at the forefront of the most important investors in the region, as evidenced by the fact that its warehouse space in the Western Pomerania region already accounts for nearly 30% of the total capacity of local warehouses, and in the Lubuski region for more than 22%.

"When we chose the western part of Poland to enter the country, some people wondered why we didn't go to Warsaw like other investors. However, I am glad that we took this step and entered the western border region, which I saw at the time as having great potential for significant growth and progress. The region lies on the borders with Germany and the Czech Republic, boasts large cities with a substantial workforce, solid transport infrastructure, and a co-operative local government. The current interest of companies to enter this area only confirms my initial assumptions," comments Milan Kratina, CEO of Accolade.

The new location in Jelenia Gora fits perfectly into the Accolade portfolio of parks along the western border. With approximately 80,000 inhabitants, it is the fourth largest city in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and is also conveniently located in terms of transport at the crossroads of the transport corridors between Germany and the Czech Republic. However, all of Accolade's modern parks near the western border lie along the major S3 expressway which connects this part of the country with the Polish coast. The whole area is easily accessible from Western Europe.

Almost half of the warehouses in Jelenia Gora are already leased to clients who are expected to come to the park in Q2 2022 and occupy nearly 10,000 sqm.

"The market with industrial parks near the western border of Poland is relatively young, but it is developing very dynamically due to its advantageous location. This is also perceived by tenants, whose interest in the area is constantly growing, and we are responding to this with further investments, such as the expansion in Goleniów and our entry into new locations. The area around Szczecin is a key Polish region for the logistics industry due to the extensive network of rail, road and air connections and seaports," adds Michał Białas, Country Head Accolade Poland.

“I have no doubts that the demand for logistics space will record further increases in the next three years, even compared to the recently observed record level of interest. The still huge potential of the western regions of Poland for the industrial real estate market is reflected not only in the scale of demand, but also in the structure of concluded contracts. By the end of the third quarter of 2021, in all three provinces in which Accolade is active, over 80% of this year's space has been leased under new contracts. For comparison - the average for the whole of Poland is currently slightly below 70%. A confirmation of the growing interest in these areas by investors is the fact that the warehouse resources base in the voivodeship in the West Pomeranian and Lower Silesian Voivodeship, it will increase by as much as 25% in the coming quarters, ”says Tomasz Mika, Director of the Warehouse and Industrial Space Department at JLL in Poland.

Accolade Holding, a.s. provides first-class infrastructure for business in Europe. Our clients mostly include tenants representing global brands in the areas of e-commerce, manufacturing and logistics. In the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Spain and Netherlands. Accolade owns a network of 41 BREEAM-certified industrial parks that guarantee a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. In the ten years of its existence, the company has created a portfolio of commercial real estate with an area of ​​3 million sq m. The current value of the portfolio of completed industrial parks amounts to 2,6 billion EUR. It invests not only in the construction of new projects but also in the revitalization of neglected brownfields. The share of such projects in the company’s portfolio reached nearly 40%. The total area of ​​the restored sites reaches more than 1,1 milion sq. m. In 2014, the group established the first-class industrial real estate fund, Accolade Fund Sicav, which allows qualified investors to invest and thus participate in the development of the modern industry. In 2017, the group bought the operator of the second busiest airport in the Czech Republic, Brno-Tuřany. Dynamic growth and sustainable development are Accolade's priorities. Thanks to this, in 2019 the Group became the fastest growing company in the Czech Republic according to the prestigious Financial Times ranking. As recognition for its investments in new environmental solutions in the field of industrial real estate, in 2020 the company was awarded the BREEAM sustainability certification at the "Outstanding" level. The building in the revitalized area of ​​the machineworks in Cheb thus became the most environmentally-friendly industrial building in the world, achieving a record score. In the future, Accolade plans to build a polygon for the development and certification of autonomous vehicles, which will serve as a research and development centre, where the largest capacities in the field will operate. The Group has a long-standing history of supporting charitable projects and organizations. In addition to supporting the disabled, it invests in culture, sports, science and education. In the local communities where it operates, it cooperates with municipalities and supports civic amenities and local development. Accolade's goal is to be a responsible partner, a good neighbour and, overall, to make the regions where the Group operates a better place to live. Accolade also emphasizes the creation of suitable working conditions, the promotion of equal opportunities and motivates and supports employees in their personal development. More at www.accolade.eu. Data as of 30th June 2021