The logistics real estate sector enters 2026 with cautious optimism. After a turbulent period, the market is beginning to stabilise, while new and powerful growth drivers are emerging — from the resurgence of e-commerce to increasing demand from the defence sector. At the same time, data centers are gaining strategic importance, influencing the demand for land, energy, and specialised infrastructure.
This is the moment when traditional logistics and digital infrastructure begin to converge — creating new opportunities for investors, developers, and property owners.
Logistics Market 2026: A Phase of Stabilisation
According to the latest analysis “Logistics Real Estate Market 2026”, the sector is entering a period of normalisation and predictable growth.
Stable fundamentals despite ongoing challenges
- Construction and financing costs are decreasing, though they will not return to pre-pandemic levels.
- Rents remain stable or continue to rise in core markets.
- Major logistics hubs (Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart) are close to 100% occupancy for modern warehouse space.
- HIH Invest, for example, reports over 99% occupancy in its logistics portfolio.
Regional oversupply
Markets with high speculative activity show a different picture:
Berlin and Leipzig are experiencing rising vacancy rates.
Market balance increasingly depends on location quality, energy availability, and infrastructure — rather than overall macro demand.
New Demand Drivers Reshaping Logistics in 2026
The structure of demand in the logistics sector is undergoing significant transformation.
1. E-commerce is back
After a temporary slowdown, e-commerce is expanding again.
Key drivers:
- international online platforms (including rapidly growing Asian players),
- traditional retailers expanding last-mile capacity.
Defence & security sector
Rising investments in defence, storage, and mobility infrastructure could generate 7.5–14.9 million m² of additional industrial and logistics demand by 2030.
This trend is particularly strong in Germany and Central Europe.
Energy & infrastructure requirements
Modern logistics operators increasingly require:
- high-capacity power connections,
- options for rooftop photovoltaics,
- 5G and automation-ready infrastructure.
The line between warehouse and light industrial facility is gradually disappearing.
Data Centers 2026: The New Powerhouse of Real Estate
Alongside logistics, Europe is experiencing an unprecedented boom in data-center demand — driven by AI, cloud computing and exponential computational needs.
Record demand across Europe
- European IT capacity demand is expected to reach ~855 MW in 2025, up more than 20% year-on-year.
- Cushman & Wakefield reports a total operational capacity of 10.3 GW in EMEA — with an even larger development pipeline.
- FLAP markets (Frankfurt–London–Amsterdam–Paris) are facing chronic energy shortages and record absorption levels.
Energy is the new “land”
The main bottleneck for new data-center development is no longer the land itself, but:
- grid connection availability,
- power-infrastructure readiness and RFS timelines,
- cooling and water requirements,
- increasing climate and regulatory constraints.
As a result, investor attention is shifting towards alternative regions — especially Central and Eastern Europe.
Poland as the Emerging Data Center Hub of CEE
Poland is undergoing one of the fastest digital transformations in Europe.
Why Poland is attracting large-scale DC investments
- rapidly rising demand for cloud and AI services,
- accelerated modernisation of the national power grid,
- lower development and land costs,
- availability of sites capable of supporting 30–50+ MW,
- increasing regulatory stability.
By 2025, Poland became the leading DC growth market in the CEE region — with hyperscalers and AI-ready projects accelerating.
Where Logistics Meets Data Centers
The two sectors converge through their shared need for:
- robust energy infrastructure,
- large and flexible land parcels,
- efficient permitting processes.
Emerging trends
1. Location synergies
Some logistics sites are increasingly being considered for data-center development — especially those offering:
- proximity to 110–220 kV power lines,
- strong motorway access,
- building potential of 40,000–100,000 m².
2. Functional transformation
Logistics park owners are exploring:
- partial conversions for AI/HPC functions,
- hybrid models such as warehouse + edge DC,
- selling land to data-center investors.
Key Takeaways for Investors & Developers
✔ The market is stabilising — but not returning to the old normal.
Location quality, energy access, and administrative speed matter more than ever.
✔ Data centers are the fastest-growing asset class in Europe.
By 2026, they will sit alongside logistics and industrial real estate as one of the continent’s core sectors.
✔ Central and Eastern Europe — especially Poland — is gaining strategic advantage.
Speed, land availability, and cost efficiency attract new waves of investment.
✔ Sites with 20–60+ MW of power-connection potential will become prime strategic assets.
