The 10th year of the CEE Summit took place in Warsaw between 21st and 22nd May. The event is traditionally co-organized by The Poland Observer and Real Asset Media. Their goal is to connect international investors, developers and banking experts with the local real estate and business community. 

The CEE Summit was established in the market as an important regional event that gives local and foreign experts the chance to keep up with the market and meet the people who shape it not only now, but also in the future. 

The Warsaw Property Tour – in other words, in Warsaw, they build on every other corner 

Every year, the summit is preceded by a tour of new development in Warsaw. The Polish capital has changed beyond recognition in the last decade. Strange unsightly objects and enclosures disappeared from its centre and were replaced by glass skyscrapers. Every year, foreign conference participants have the opportunity to visit some key projects that are either under construction or already completed. This year, it was, for instance, the recently opened 452 m pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Vistula River or the remarkable conversion of the former Powiśle power station (Elektrownia Powiśle) from the beginning of the 20th century into a modern multi-purpose building combining retail, services and housing (in 2021, the project was awarded MIPIM Award in the Best multifunctional project category) with preserved historical (and historicizing) industrial elements. 

The next stop of the city tour was the Echo Investment & AFI Europe project in Towarowa Street, which represents a revitalization project on an area of over 200,000 sq m in the central part of the metropolis, on the site of the former Jupiter shopping centre. It will include five skyscrapers of a height of up to 150 m surrounded by a park. The office building should be completed by mid-2025 together with the park. The first residential building will follow by the end of 2025. The remaining green areas, including the reconstructed House of the Polish Word, will be open to the public by 2026. The entire project is to be completed by 2028.  

Skanska Group is building the Studio office complex between two underground stations (ONZ and Daszyńskiego), which is their latest project in Warsaw. Phase 1 (17,600 sq m Studio B) is completed, fully leased and recently sold to Stena Real Estate AB; phase 2 (Studio A) is under construction and will be completed next year. 

The next stop was the unique AFI Home rental housing project with fully equipped luxury apartments situated in the block between Złota and Żelazna Streets. Some of the apartments are located in the renovated historic Krongold housing block from the end of the 19th century, and others are part of a premium new building.

The Warsaw Property Tour of the city ended (both literally and figuratively) with a meeting held at the CMS international law office, which is located on the 42nd and 43rd floors of the Varso Tower. With 310 m, it is the tallest building in the European Union. The aim of the visit was not only to enjoy the views, but the participants also discussed the 25th anniversary of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary’ accession to NATO and the 20th anniversary of the admission of 10 new countries to the EU, including eight countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which enabled international companies to enter the Central and Eastern European region with confidence regarding security of their investments. As a result, goods, capital, services and people began to move freely throughout Europe and the West, opening up the potential of the CEE region.  

The half-day inspiring tour of Warsaw’s new construction ended with a pleasant evening cocktail and a banquet (the CEE Summit Anniversary Celebration Cocktail) held on the terrace of the 43rd floor of the Varso Tower, which offered breathtaking views of the city. 

CEE Summit: Investments are needed everywhere, but investors are picky 

Thursday’s conference at the now iconic InterContinental Hotel welcomed 215 participants from 18 countries (most of them were, of course, from Poland, but there were also guests from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, France, Sweden, Hong Kong, Romania and other countries).

In the introduction, The Poland Observer presented a film mapping the Polish real estate market and presented projects that are planned for 2025 and beyond. The opening speech was delivered by Michał Stępien, acting CEO at AFI Europe Poland, which was the main partner of the CEE Summit 2024. This was followed by speeches given by experts who dealt with the global context of geopolitical influences in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the connections with the war in Ukraine. Another important topic was the topic of ESG factors, which currently affect the valuation of real estate assets. This was then followed by panel discussions on the topic of global trends and regional dynamics, investment opportunities in the real estate market of Central and Eastern Europe, or investment needs and opportunities in the reconstruction of Ukraine. Representatives the Oradea Local Development Agency projected a short film and presented investment opportunities in their city. A long-discussed topic in Poland is the lack of legislation for the establishment of REIT, which could potentially transform the market. 

The afternoon was spent in the spirit of discussion in the sections of: Multifunctional use – offices, retail and housing in harmony; Warehouses and logistics; Residential sector; Why is the reconstruction of Ukraine important for the Central and Eastern European market; ESG in practice and Expected changes in the field of REIT in Poland. Subsequently, the participants were introduced the outputs and conclusions of the individual sections. During the breaks available between the individual programme blocks, the conference participants had the opportunity for informal discussions and networking.

At the end, the organizers summarized the findings from the day-long meeting of the CEE Summit. The history of the modern real estate market in the CEE region can be traced through investment deals that have marked the ebb and flow of various sectors, as well as the people and companies behind them. Stores always reflect the dynamics of the times – from huge new shopping centres and offices that were leased before the first construction pit was created, to the recent rise of the logistics sector and the liquidity gap. 

author:PhDr.Alena Krupauerova / Photo: The Poland Observer and the author

Richard Stephens, founder and editor of The Poland Observer and co-organizer of the event:

“The CEE Summit, which The Poland Observer co-organizes every year in Warsaw together with Real Asset Media, aims to connect the international real estate community with the real estate market in Central and Eastern Europe, show the opportunities in the region and bring new ideas, voices and perspectives. We have heard from investors from around Europe that they see the CEE region as an increasingly attractive destination for real estate investment, hedging against investments in the West, with huge growth and development potential. On a smaller scale, with The Warsaw Property Tour we want to show how fast and far the city of Warsaw has developed. Its reputation as an ugly duckling is long since passed, and now people are starting to realize how dynamic and active the city is.”

The Vlněna area connects Brno’s rich industrial past with cutting-edge 21st-century technologies. The premium design and high technical standards of Vlněna are attractive to both large companies looking to establish branches in Brno and innovative startups.

Vlněna is built to BREEAM standards, which respect a wide range of criteria from energy to environmental considerations. We were guided through the entire complex by Jan Hübner, CTP’s Construction Director.

Could you briefly introduce yourself?

I have been working as the head of construction for two and a half years, but I have spent a total of seven and a half years with CTP. I started in 2004 when CTP had 15 employees and two industrial zones; I spent five years there. Initially, I built industrial halls in Western Bohemia, where CTP was starting at that time. Later, I constructed office buildings in Ostrava and another in Brno on the Černovice terrace, so it was quite a broad range. Subsequently, I left and worked for ten years for the Slovak developer HB Reavis, five of which I was head of construction in Poland. Initially, there were about 15 of us, and when I left, there were almost 180. I had about 60 people in construction. Among other things, we built the tallest building in the European Union at the time, the 310-meter-high Varso Tower in Warsaw.

But you didn’t stay in Poland…

I got an offer to lead the HB Reavis branch in Hungary, where I spent three years. We were building on Vaci street, which is the main office street in Budapest, the largest office project Agora, about 60,000 sq m of rentable space.

So, you returned to your hometown Brno?

I came back to the Czech Republic, and after another two years, I agreed with Remon Vos to return to CTP. Although it was back to my hometown Brno, I am responsible for construction across the Czech Republic, from our westernmost project in Aš to our easternmost in Karviná, which is a bit more complicated.

That must be quite time-consuming.

My task is not only to manage projects but primarily to create a structure and system for about 70 people working under me in the Czech Republic. Additionally, we have external construction managers, occupational safety staff, and so on. We manage an annual construction budget of around CZK 10 billion and currently have about 40 projects under construction in the Czech Republic.

Where does CTP rank in office construction?

Surprisingly, we are now the largest office developer in the Czech Republic because we have the most square meters under construction, at least according to my information.

So, you primarily focus on this segment?

Definitely not, it’s our secondary focus; our primary focus is industrial.

We are in the Vlněna complex in Brno. Let’s recall the history of the area.

Vlněna is part of the original manufacturing area where yarn and wool were processed, dating back to the 18th century. Around the mid-19th century, Bochner’s factories were established here, and nearby is Bochner’s Palace, the factory’s headquarters, which we managed to preserve and reconstruct at considerable expense. The factory and the neo-renaissance palace were acquired by the Stiassni family after Edmund Bochner’s death in 1903. They ran the factory until 1938. They were Jewish, and when WWII broke out, they had to flee to the USA to escape the holocaust. After the war, the communists nationalized the entire area, and the national enterprise Vlněna was established here, which ceased production in 1997.

What state was the area in after production ceased?

Many of the buildings were in an extremely poor condition. CTP bought the area in 2007. It took some time to clarify the vision. The first building permit was obtained by the company, I believe, in 2016, the first building was built in 2018, and we have been gradually filling it since then.

Each era brings different challenges for developers. Initially, it was offices, then halls, followed by apartments, etc. Did you have a clear idea from the beginning of what would emerge here?

Vlněna still does not have its final form. Currently, we are constructing building I, which is a 60-meter-high office building. As architect Václav Hlaváček, the project’s spiritual father, says, it’s like a beacon. With its completion, the second phase of Vlněna will be finished. The third phase begins on the other side, where we are now preparing the foundation slab. From the beginning, it was planned that the majority of the construction would be offices, but in the third phase, apartments are also planned. The third phase includes an office building named K, covering 8,000 sq m, and around 255 apartments ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, and one or two four-bedroom units. However, from the beginning, a complex was designed to function as a whole. So, one of the most important parts is the ground floor, where services, retail, canteen, café, small shops, gym – things we think people need here – are integrated. One consideration was to provide better sports facilities, so in the third phase, we are building a 25-meter pool and a space for a yoga centre. We are also considering other services, such as an optical store, etc.

Will the apartments be for sale?

We will keep everything and only lease it out. Even in the long term, we have retained everything we built. We have never sold anything, which is a significant advantage. For Brno, it’s a unique complex. All buildings CTP has built in its 26-year existence remain in its ownership, even though we must gradually renovate them – mainly for energy savings.

Do the employees of companies in Vlněna have the opportunity to live on-site?

The apartments will be completed in early 2026, and the intention is for local companies to rent them. We expect and believe that a large portion of the new apartments will be rented long-term by these companies.

So, another bonus Vlněna will offer?

Exactly, it’s one of the services we will offer to office space tenants. Tenants will also have access to the swimming pool. We are also working a lot with the local community in Vlněna. We want to offer future apartment tenants a space where they can meet, and perhaps a discounted entrance to our coworking space Clubco, providing study or work areas. Vlněna is a unique project in Brno in many ways because there is nothing similar here.

Are you inspired by international projects?

Definitely. When I worked at HB Reavis, we knew that trends originating in London would reach us in about three years. Green buildings or BREEAM were addressed there a few years before becoming standard in the Czech Republic. Remon Vos, the founder of CTP, is someone who looks ahead and thinks about the future. For example, he doesn’t like parking spaces, saying, what will we do with them in five to ten years when everyone stops driving cars because it will be too expensive? Now, in two office projects, we are figuring out how to design buildings so that parking spaces can be repurposed in a few years. It’s great to see a bit further ahead.

What about residential projects?

Remon, architect Václav Hlaváček, and others flew to Amsterdam and The Hague to see their community housing. It works there, but not so much here yet. People here are more conservative, preferring home ownership. However, the trend will likely move towards Western Europe, given the cost of housing. The current 82–85% of people owning homes will decrease in proportion to those living in rentals. It’s good to anticipate this.

Is it about setting a certain vision?

Yes. There’s no point in reinventing the wheel; it’s necessary to verify and see how it works. Then we can implement it in the Czech Republic. Of course, we will make mistakes, but we can avoid most of them.

Do you have all spaces rented in Vlněna, or are you looking for tenants?

The buildings already standing are about 97% occupied. We are constructing the office building I, which will be completed in the second half of the year, and we are about halfway or slightly above halfway leased. We certainly don’t have to worry about not achieving full occupancy. Vlněna has an excellent location, essentially in the very centre of Brno with excellent transport connections.

What modern technologies are you equipping the office buildings with?

Building I in Vlněna will be one of the most modern on the market. An important part is the measurement and regulation system, which we created in collaboration with several companies. We were figuring out how the building should function in a few years. You need a quality central system that future technologies can connect to. Now there are various air quality sensors, LED lighting, etc., which didn’t exist ten years ago. In a few years, there will be technologies we can only dream of now. But the central system must be robust enough to accommodate them in the future. For example, we worked with Compactive on different types of lighting that would mimic natural light changes throughout the day. In the morning, it has different intensity and colour than in the afternoon, and the human body reacts to that. We worked with Compactive and their experts on how to design and implement these systems. Something like this will be installed in the lobby, and we can offer it to clients in their spaces. Measurement and regulation essentially need robust hardware as a base, meaning the system bus, where future types of light sensors can be added, and other elements can be connected, which we do not even know yet. The software part will also evolve. And since we own and will continue to own these buildings, we need to be prepared for future developments.

Progress cannot be stopped, but innovations are moving at a fast pace.

Definitely. Twenty years ago, no one installed LED lighting in industrial buildings because it was too expensive. Halogen lights, perhaps fluorescent lights, were installed. Now we have almost 100% of our buildings with LED lighting. We have gradually replaced the lights in all the buildings we own over the last three years. It was a significant project, it cost a lot of money, but it moves the buildings forward, reducing their energy consumption. The same applies to offices. We need robust basic systems that we will modify and advance further.

Do you have other similar cases?

We are dealing with something similar on the Černovice terrace, where we have a building with Honeywell as the largest tenant. We are reconstructing a 15-year-old building, changing measurement and regulation, adding CO2 sensors. We aim to get the energy label from category C to A. It is a huge, complicated project that we have been working on for the last year. We have been building it for half a year and will continue until the end of the year, but it is something we will face on a large part of the portfolio. So, in addition to construction itself, there are also many reconstructions.

What are you most proud of in the Vlněna area?

I think the most visible part is the beautiful greenery in the parter between the buildings. As you can see, there are many benches where people sit. We are very proud of that. In the third phase, we will continue with greenery, which should be more ‘natural’ – trees, grass, a pond, etc. We will, of course, complement the retail. As I mentioned, we are trying to communicate with clients, figuring out what would interest them and what they need to further improve the environment for work and life. For example, a year ago, clients requested a kindergarten, and now there are two children’s groups for about 48 children, and we built a playground for them. We are trying to work in a way that makes people here happy. I believe that if people are happy, companies will be satisfied, and that is what matters. If everything works well, Vlněna will not have to worry about the future.

Arnošt Wagner

Photo: Bohdan Štoček and CTP archive

The 34^th edition of the MIPIM trade fair took place in Cannes between 12^th and 15^th March. The main motto of this year’s MIPIM was ‘Housing matters!’.

Over 20,000 participants gathered in the south of France, including investors, real estate experts and representatives of public and state administration from a total of 90 countries. On an area of 19,500 sq m, they could visit 340 stands and exhibitions. The traditional participants, as well as new delegations from North America, the Middle East, South East Asia and other countries, demonstrated attractive investment areas at MIPIM.

MIPIM once again attracted representatives of the world’s largest institutional investors, such as pension funds or mutual funds, insurance companies, university endowments and sovereign wealth funds. Overall, MIPIM welcomed investors managing over 4 trillion euros in assets.

MIPIM 2024 has so far been the most sustainable edition characterized by four commitments: to make MIPIM cleaner, greener, more diverse and to increase its social impact.

This year, the Czech Republic remained on the sidelines – unlike its neighbouring countries (with the exception of Slovakia) – after a long time, not one city or region was presented at MIPIM.

Nevertheless, the representatives of Czech, or global locally operating companies found their way to Cannes. We asked some of them for a brief summary of their impressions.

1. How did you take in the main theme of this year’s MIPIM and in what form?
2. We are preparing an article about artificial intelligence in architecture. Was this theme evident at the fair?
3. Which presentations were interesting and in a certain way inspirational for you?
4. The MIPIM Awards competition always enjoys great interest in Cannes. Was any of the submitted projects one of your favourites?

M.Sc. Tero Loukonen, Head of Research, PASSERINVEST GROUP, a.s.

1. Housing and its various sub-categories (co-living, student housing, multifamily, etc.) were present in various discussions during the week. A lack of affordable housing is a big discussion topic in many markets. The half-day summit ‘Housing matters!’ held on Monday was an inspirational one. Sustainability, Net Zero and ESG were also very much discussed in various sessions during the week. I felt that investment market sentiment was better than in last year’s EXPO REAL, although the MIPIM discussions did not clearly indicated as to when the investment market would become more active, even though many expect increase in transactions this year. Many speakers felt that we were at the bottom or close to the bottom when it came to the re-evaluation process. Some were of the opinion that now is the right time to start looking for opportunities to invest while others believed that re-evaluation in Europe was not over yet. Nevertheless, the market seems to be more confident in where the interest rates are heading, and the investors can see that.
2. Yes, it was. Several speakers were talking about AI in various conference sessions. And I also attended the ‘AI and Real Estate’ session, which was actually one of the most attended conference sessions held in the large auditorium of ‘Leaders’ Perspective Stage’. Firstly, it was an impressive presentation given by professor from Columbia University followed by a panel discussion where a director from a global architectural company spoke about the way the AI changes architects’ work. He had actually presented ‘AI and Architecture’ in SOUP Urban Festival in 2023.
3. Yes, there were plenty of them, so I will just name a few here. In the ‘Housing matters!’ half-day summit, which was held on Monday, there was a presentation by Kai-Uwe Bergmann, a partner of the Bjarke Ingels Group, on ‘Housing scenarios for the future’. On Tuesday morning, there was the ‘Places where people want to work’ session held at London stand, followed by a very good discussion in the ‘Global investors vision’ session held on Tuesday afternoon. The Wednesday’s session ‘AI and Real Estate’, which I have already mentioned, was a very impressive one. The ‘Trends in U.S. Real Estate and Capital Markets’ held on Wednesday was a great discussion. On Thursday, there was a really memorable discussion held at the ‘Macroeconomics and raising financing’ session. Otherwise, the presentations held at the exhibitor stands of Grand Paris and NEOM from Saudi Arabia were also impressive and memorable.
4. I attended the MIPIM Awards ceremony on Thursday evening, so, I had a chance to see all the nominees and winners. I liked Krallerhof’s project Atmosphere by Hadi Teherani Architects from the Best Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure Project category. And the Lyf one-north Singapore in the Best Residential Project category. The Ellikon Commercial Hub in the Best New Mega Development category also looked amazing. So, I had more than one favourite in the Awards. It was a great show as usual.

Ing. arch. Oleg Haman, President of the Community of Architects, CEO and co-founder of the architectural and design office CASUA

1. The theme of this year’s MIPIM was resilient and sustainable cities. The exhibition of the Middle East countries corresponded with this perfectly. The cities presented were completely new and situated in the wild or in the desert. From architectural point of view, these were mainly the works of large, renowned London studios.
2. Personally, I did not notice the theme of AI in architecture at MIPIM. But that does not mean it wasn’t there.
3. MIPIM presentations – especially those given by former politicians – are really very inspiring. I was planning to go to the presentation of the former Prime Minister of Finland, but it didn’t coincide with the cocktail party we were hosting.
4. This year, I registered four of them – Royal Belge in Brussels, Esbjerg Maritime Centre in Denmark, Atmosphere by Krallerhof in Leogang, Austria, and Living Places in Copenhagen.

Michal Hink, lawyer, Partner at DLA Piper Prague LLP

1. Considering that I deal with the topic of rental housing (Built to Rent/PRS project) a lot, I’ve noticed that this topic resonated at MIPIM quite frequently. For one thing, our office dealt with it, and we also saw that our clients were interested in both these projects and investments in this segment.
2. Personally, I didn’t notice the AI theme much at the fair. I probably just didn’t follow it much nor searched for it in the individual discussion meetings.
3. This year, I did not pay much attention to the presentations held at the fair, but rather to personal meetings and meetings with specific clients, which means that my input in this area wouldn’t be too relevant.
4. Projects that captured my attention from among the MIPIM AWARDS finalists this year were the Trojena Ski Village project in the Best new Mega Development category and the Elektrownia Powisłe project in the Best Urban Regeneration category.

Milan Stříteský, CEO, Business Network CZ s.r.o., Official Sales Representatives of RX France for MIPIM, MAPIC, MIPIM ASIA for CR & SR

1. This year’s MIPIM has been the crucial event for the international real estate community. The 2024 edition is taking place at a time of global political and economic uncertainty, the ongoing urgency to address climate change, and crucial challenges facing key real estate sectors such as commercial and residential property. And MIPIM aims to help the global community discover solutions to long-term structural challenges through high-level networking and discussions. More than 200 delegates from the Czech Republic and Slovakia participated in the MIPIM trade fair. In addition to the traditional presence of companies like CTP Invest, new exhibitors such as CRESTYL GROUP and 2N showcased their products and services. The event also featured representation from several hundred companies within the real estate business sector in the Czech and Slovak markets. This year we have collaborated again with ULI, WBCSD, IIGCC, and World Green Building Council to find international solutions through variety of MIPIM conference and networking programs, which includes high-profile businesses such as Bouygues & Schneider. As an event, MIPIM also has its own role to play. 2024 was our most sustainable exhibition to date, distinguished by four commitments: making MIPIM cleaner, greener, and more diverse, and increasing our positive social impact. This year the residential sector which is actively seeking new models to meet the market demand, from rental to ownership and other life-cycle transitions has been one of the key topics discussed at MIPIM during ‘Housing Matters!’, the new half day conference launched in pre-opening of MIPIM. The event brough together investors, developers, local authorities, associations, and urban experts, exploring solutions to the rising housing demands, soaring prices and housing inequality and sharing visions of a sustainable housing future. Finally, understanding the vital role of fresh perspectives and leading industry voices in transforming the real estate sector, we launched the MIPIM Challengers program this year. This innovative initiative is designed to offer 16 young built environment professionals from around the globe the chance to showcase their ideas at MIPIM. We received an overwhelming response, with over 150 essays submitted from 20 different countries. While the majority of entries originated from Western Europe, our final selection is diverse, featuring participants from further afield, including Mauritius, South Africa, and the USA. This mix underscores our commitment to bringing together a wide range of insights and experiences to drive forward-thinking change in the real estate industry.
2. We suggest you to have a look to the RIBA Artificial Intelligence Report discussed at MIPIM and which revealed that 41% of architects are now using AI and 43% of those architects believe it has improved the efficiency of their design process. IA has been a hot topic discussed several times during the event (e.g. Sanna Marin, and a dedicated session ‘AI and real estate: How can it be used properly, what are the implications, how revolutionary will it be?’ has been organized in the MIPIM Official programme.
3. Please read our final release mentioning conversations at MIPIM regarding new areas of opportunity and optimism.
4. The MIPIM Awards showcase the world’s most sustainable and visionary projects since 1991. This year, 209 projects of completed or yet to be built projects from 39 countries have been submitted for the globally renowned real estate competition. The six key criteria are overall sustainability, integration of the project in its environment and community, quality of the user experience, economic contribution, originality of the concept, and architectural qualities. The winners were selected by both the jury’s and MIPIM registered delegates’ votes, cast online and on site.

Lenka Kostrounová, Real Estate Finance Manager at ČSOB

I would summarize the impressions regardless of the questions, because I had slightly different priorities at MIPIM. Overall, I would like to summarize my impressions from this year’s MIPIM: As always, it was a great pleasure to meet the important European players from the field of development and investment, to exchange opinions and share experiences. Otherwise, this year’s fair resonated with topics such as rental and social housing as well as cohabitation. It is evident that the lack of apartments is not only a problem in the Czech Republic, but also in a large part of Europe. Another key theme of the fair was ESG and AI in real estate. These topics are becoming more and more important and it is great to find out during mutual discussions with the others and the participants how one or the other understands this topic and how far along they are with their implementation. As for the ESG, there is nothing precisely lined up apart from the basic facts, such as the obligations to reduce the carbon footprint or reporting rules. It is up to each country/company to find a way as to how to achieve the goal. I am glad that ČSOB pays a lot of attention to the topic and is one of the active members of the Council for Sustainable Buildings.

With regard to the receding inflation and the fact that interest rates in euros are unlikely to rise any more (they are even falling in CZK), the mood among the participants seemed significantly more optimistic than in the previous year. However, the same cannot be said in the case of German visitors, because inflation, rising rates and the impact on valuations there were often very dramatic. Anyone interested in the real estate world took part in the event, even though the ticket price of more than EUR 2,000 has a big impact on companies’ budgets.

I was very surprised by the non-participation of the representatives of the Czech public and state administration. It was the first time since I have been going to MIPIM, which is over 15 years, that there was no stand of Czech cities. I do not share the opinion that we Czechs can meet at home. After all, it is about showing the world/Europe what construction is being planned in our country, what has already turned out well and why, who is active on the market. I only met the representatives of Ostrava (Hana Tichánková, Deputy Mayor for strategic development, and her colleagues Jiří Hudec, Ondřej Vysloužil and Adéla Koudelová), who were there this year as visitors, not exhibitors. Many thanks for their interest – Ostrava is a dynamically developing city and the fact that they actively participate in the fair every year, perceive European trends and try to adapt to them, clearly contributes to their PR among both investors and developers. The complete opposite of the Czech approach was Poland and their cities, which did everything for being marketed at MIPIM in order to making their projects (and participant) visible.

Zuzana Chudoba, Managing Director, BTR Consulting s.r.o.

I will not answer the individual questions, but I will summarize my remarks: The entire MIPIM trade fair was intertwined by the theme of housing. That is, in any form – student, long-term, short-term, co-living, senior. It is obvious that demographic and economic development, plus housing needs, not only in Europe, have exceeded the offer, to which we now respond with a delay. Which is emphasised by the sub-theme of MIPIM, Housing matters! Overall, I felt a positive mood in the area of investment in the housing sector, which will certainly be supported this year by falling interest rates and greater confidence in all markets. And also, the lack of housing or accommodation capacities and a certain increase in prices in this area.

It is a shame that the Czech Republic, nota bene Prague, which has been dealing with the lack of housing supply in various forms of housing for a long time, did not participate in this important European event, and thus showed, in my opinion, that they are not interested in cooperation with foreign investors, who could certainly help to partly solve the current problem with their investments.

In general, one could feel that the participation at MIPIM was lower than in previous years. Which is certainly connected with the constantly tense situation in the area of available resources and the willingness to invest. However, according to the opinions of various investment groups, it seems that the market could pick up this year and as of the second half of the year, we will – hopefully – see more transactions compared to the previous year throughout Europe. The approach of countries such as MIPIM’s main partner – Saudi Arabia or Oman – is very interesting. Both countries presented not only very interesting large-scale projects in their capital cities, but also the ability to permit the newly emerging districts and start construction in a record time compared to the Czech Republic (maximum of two years), as well as the commitment to build and complete them and also to improve the overall living comfort in their specific climatic conditions. Overall, I would say that the mood was positive with an even more positive outlook for the future.

• Best cultural, sports & education project: Esbjerg Maritime Center, Esbjerg, Denmark

The traditional top of MIPIM’s events was the final ceremony of the MIPIM Awards’ announcement at the final gala evening in the Palais de Festivals in Cannes.

The winners are:

• Best conversion project: Royale Belge, Brussels, Belgium
• Best cultural, sports & education project: Esbjerg Maritime Center, Esbjerg, Denmark
• Best hospitality, tourism & leisure project: ATMOSPHERE by Krallerhof, Leogang, Austria
• Best industrial & logistics project: ESR Higashi Ogishima Distribution Centre, Kawasaki, Japan
• Best mixed-use project: Royale Belge, Brussels, Belgium
• Best office & business project: St. John’s Terminal, New York, United States
• Best residential project: Living Places Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Best urban regeneration project: BASSIN 7, Aarhus, Denmark
• Best new development: Casa BFF, Milan, Italy
• Best new mega development: The Ellinikon Commercial Hub, Metropolitan Pole of Hellinikon, Athens, Greece
• Special jury awards: ESR Higashi Ogishima Distribution Centre, Kawasaki, Japan

The Loxone Campus was inaugurated in Kollerschlag, Austria, near the Czech and German borders, last year and thus wrote a new chapter for the dynamically developing Loxone company. 

The architectural masterpiece fits harmoniously into the plein-air of the green hills surrounding the town of Kollerschlag. And this is one of the paths where this year’s packed programme of events, organized by our magazine for its partners and entrepreneurs from the field of development and facility management, went. The visit to the Loxone Campus in Kollerschlag, Austria, took place at the invitation of Pavel Lískovec, Branch Manager of the Czech branch in České Budějovice. 

Loxone Campus

The total area of the campus is 8 ha, but it is not noticeable at first glance, because the Campus is perfectly integrated into the undulating terrain. It includes, among other things, warehouse premises and a logistics centre with an area of 6,000 sq m, offices with a capacity for 300 employees, as well as an hotel complex with 80 rooms, a restaurant and a wellness centre with an outdoor heated infinite pool. Everything is equipped with modern intelligent building automation systems.

The entire project cost EUR 70 million. The planned budget was 12% lower, which is remarkable following the changes in the prices of construction work, because no special solutions had to be implemented during the construction, which was excellently designed by the ARKFORM studio and was, from the beginning, fitted with top technologies. 

Harsh beginnings

There are two owners behind the company, and no other shareholders, which helps a lot in making strategic decisions in order to move forward.

When the founding members of the company, Martin and Thomas, were building their houses at the beginning of 2008, they were already faced with the fact that there was quite a lot of technology inside – heat recovery, air conditioning, heating, heat pumps, shading, lighting, etc. So, they looked around the market to be able to connect all the technologies together and not become their slaves. That was also the initial impulse when they started thinking about the connection of all technologies in houses. After two years, the portfolio gradually began to expand and today, it produces lights, speakers, etc., but according to the founders, Loxone is still primarily a software company.

The initial vision was that when you come home, there will be an appropriate temperature and tuned up energy consumption, which has worked out great. Many difficulties had to be overcome in the initial five years. There was even a moment of a threat that they would withdraw from the project and the company would come to an end, because not everything went exactly well at the beginning. The reason was that people – clients – did not know the new technologies. They were new to them, and at that time, building automation belonged to luxury real estate, etc. However, despite the crisis, the company managed to be directed to further growth. 

How did the Campus originate

In 2018, the owners Martin Öller and Thomas Moser, the founders of the Loxone Group, took a 100-day holiday and although they had been involved with everything until then, they handed all the competence over to the managers. The employees didn’t know what was going on, and the owners did not follow what was happening inside the company at all at that time because they trusted ‘their’ people. In those ‘free’ days, they strategically considered what the production programme would be in the next 10 years. That is when the idea to build LOXONE Campus was born. First, they cleared up what the size of the premises needed to be. This resulted in a 13-storey building that was originally supposed to be built in this beautiful country setting full of green fields and meadows. However, this idea did not find understanding among the local authorities.

So, they started to think about a campus that would fit in here and blend in with the surroundings. Although there is a 600-kW photovoltaic system on the roof, there are almost 80% green roofs. When you build offices for 300 people, everything needs to be thought through, which resulted in the motto: in order for employees to do a good job, they need quality facilities. 

Restaurant Glorious Bastards

That is why one of the attractions is the franchise of the famous Glorious Bastards chain known from Vienna, Linz and Salzburg. It is characterized by an industrial style and a firmly set design. Another thing was the thought that the employees as well as the partners would need to be educated. That is why many people come here not only from Europe, but from all over the world. The complex therefore also includes an hotel, which will be 80% filled by the LOXONE company with their clients and partners.

Pavel Lískovec, head of Loxone’s České Budějovice branch, says: “This year, we have seven training sessions planned here from us, from Czech. If each of the cooperating countries or local branches does the same, the sessions will be taken in turns over and over again. When designing the complex, the architectural plan took into account people’s need to also have a place to relax. That is why there is also a wellness centre with an outdoor infinite pool for relaxation there.”  

The Loxone managers wanted to be able to present new technologies and equipment at the Campus, so it was necessary to build a lecture hall as well as large warehouses sized to meet the requirements for the next 10 years.

Pavel Lískovec adds: “It is kind of a short story about the creation of LOXONE Campus. We thought that it was the height of what the owners wanted to prove. Nevertheless, they have recently announced that this is only the beginning. This campus is one big laboratory. We started with luxury villa residences. Today, we deal with ordinary family houses and apartments with lesser civic amenities, but developers are increasingly asking us to prepare for building automation, even with regard to today’s EU requirements. So, instead of having one expert for each system, we connect them all together, which results in great savings – there is no need for that much hardware, and we bring much more comfort into the project.” 

Arnošt Wagner

Photo: DE&FA Archive

Great thanks for the invitation and the above-standard possibility of a two-day tour of the entire LOXONE Campus, including areas where a regular visitor cannot get to, go to Pavel Lískovec and his Czech colleagues. At the same time, we also greatly appreciate the warm welcome and invitation to the gala dinner extended by the owners of the company and the main managers of the LOXONE Group.