Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Manufacturing is taking a larger share of Romania’s industrial and logistics property market, with production-related transactions accounting for approximately 28% of publicly announced leasing activity during the first half of 2026, according to Colliers. The proportion was almost twice that recorded a year earlier and substantially above the 10–15% range typically associated with manufacturing demand.
Overall publicly disclosed industrial and logistics transactions reached approximately 340,000 sqm during the first six months of the year. This represented a decline of around 20% compared with the same period of 2025, although activity remained 47% above the average recorded during the first halves of 2017–2019. Around two-thirds of demand involved new leases or companies relocating from less competitive properties.
Rather than signalling a broad deterioration in the market, Colliers views the slowdown as a normalisation following the particularly active conditions recorded in 2025. The consultant also notes that its figures cover publicly disclosed transactions and therefore exclude a portion of direct agreements and renewals concluded between occupiers and property owners.
A more significant development is the changing composition of occupier demand. Romania is attracting increasing attention from manufacturing companies considering locations closer to European customers, including Asian groups assessing the country as a potential production base.
“We are seeing recurring requirements that were simply not present a few years ago, as well as growing interest from Asian manufacturers, particularly Chinese companies, which are assessing Romania as a nearshoring base for the European market,” said Victor Coșconel, Partner and Head of Leasing, Office & Industrial Agencies at Colliers. He added that manufacturing companies can be particularly important for industrial property owners because they generally occupy facilities for longer periods.
Several transactions during the first half illustrate the broader mix of activity. Iron Mountain renewed approximately 28,000 sqm in Bucharest, while Autonet renewed around 26,000 sqm. Siemens agreed a new 15,000 sqm lease for a manufacturing facility in Sibiu, while two additional production facilities exceeding 20,000 sqm were agreed near Bucharest and in Ploiești.
Romania’s competitiveness is also being supported by the relationship between employment costs and productivity. Colliers estimates that each euro of labour expenditure in transportation and storage generates approximately €2.70 of added value in Romania, compared with around €1.70 across the European Union. The consultant also points to relatively favourable labour availability compared with several neighbouring markets.
Transport infrastructure is becoming another factor influencing industrial location decisions. Romania had more than 1,400 km of high-speed roads at the beginning of 2026, compared with approximately 900 km before the pandemic, while more than 1,000 km were at various stages of construction. Colliers estimates that the network could exceed 2,500 km during the next five to seven years.
Around Bucharest, the development of the A0 orbital motorway is increasing the accessibility of locations that previously played a more limited role in the industrial market, including areas north of the capital around Buftea and locations to the east and south. Together with Romania’s full accession to the land-based Schengen area in 2025, the expanding road network could improve connections between regional manufacturing centres and Western European markets.
Romania’s stock of modern industrial and logistics property reached almost 8.3 million sqm by the middle of 2026, having recently passed the 8 million sqm threshold. Most recent completions were concentrated around Bucharest, while approximately another 500,000 sqm could be delivered over the following two to three quarters.
Competition between developers is also increasing. CTP and WDP remain the largest operators identified by Colliers, while VGP, Element Industrial, Logicor and Industra Parks are expanding their pipelines. Lion’s Head, Garbe Industrial/Fortress and Hillwood are meanwhile preparing their first developments in the Romanian market.
Greater competition for occupiers is helping to limit rental increases. For a well-located warehouse of around 5,000 sqm in the Bucharest area with a five- to seven-year lease, rents generally stand at approximately €4.50–€5.00 per sqm per month. Depending on the location and individual transaction, levels can approach €4.00 or fall below that point.
Vacancy remains below 10% across most of Romania, however, meaning large occupiers may not always be able to secure suitable existing premises immediately. At the same time, developers control sites capable of accommodating additional projects, providing capacity for further expansion if demand strengthens.
For the remainder of 2026, Colliers expects leasing volumes to remain below the unusually high levels of recent years but above the historical market activity seen before the pandemic. In the longer term, the consultant sees infrastructure investment, competitive operating costs, productivity and improved European connectivity as supporting further expansion of Romania’s industrial property sector.
Colliers considers Romania capable of eventually supporting between 12 million and 14 million sqm of modern industrial and logistics stock, compared with approximately 8.3 million sqm today, although the release does not provide a specific timetable for reaching that level.
