Two-thirds of the European regions with the strongest profile for manufacturing activities are located in just four countries, namely Poland, Spain, Romania and France, according to the latest edition of the report “ExCEEding Borders: CEE & Iberia: Driving Europe’s Industrial Transformation,” published by Colliers. In Romania’s case, 36 counties, the equivalent of nearly 9 in 10, are included in the category of the most attractive regions for industrial investment.
According to the report, industrial investors can find the appropriate infrastructure in Romania. With a total stock of more than 8 million square meters of modern industrial and logistics space at the beginning of 2026, of which nearly 3.9 million square meters are located in Bucharest, and around 450,000 square meters under construction nationwide, including 195,000 square meters in the Bucharest area, Romania is the third-largest market in the CEE-14 region, after Poland and the Czech Republic.
At the same time, Romania is among the regional markets where the development of modern, energy-efficient space is gaining increasing traction, amid growing demand for sustainable, green-certified buildings adapted to the increasingly stringent requirements of tenants, investors and lenders.
”Central and Eastern Europe is no longer seen merely as a region with growth potential, but is increasingly becoming a strategic hub for European manufacturing. We are already seeing this in discussions with investors, where Romania is appearing more and more frequently on the shortlist of companies rethinking their manufacturing, warehousing, or distribution networks in Europe,” said Victor Coșconel, Partner at Colliers.
The evolution is also visible in market data. In 2025, demand for industrial and logistics space in Romania reached a new high, with nearly 1 million square meters leased, almost double the level recorded in 2024.
At the same time, Colliers consultants note that the structure of demand is changing. Before the pandemic, transactions for manufacturing space accounted for a low single-digit share of total leasing activity, but interest in this segment has increased significantly in recent years. Manufacturing activities now account for at least 20% of the area leased annually, well above pre-2020 levels. In 2023- 2024, the manufacturing segment even represented more than one-third of leasing demand, confirming that interest in this type of space is no longer occasional.
In parallel, Bucharest remains Romania’s main industrial market, although the capital’s share of total demand is gradually declining towards half of the total, or even below this level, as regional cities attract increasing investment.
Romania also remains competitive in terms of market indicators. The vacancy rate stands at around 5%, while prime rents for modern industrial space range between EUR 4.5 and EUR 5 per square metre per month, an attractive level compared with more mature markets in the region. Investment yields for prime projects are estimated at around 7.75%, above the levels recorded in the Czech Republic or Slovakia.
For Romania, the report highlights a competitive profile, particularly in terms of costs, incentives, and labour force. The country has one of the highest scores in the region for incentives and one of the most attractive cost profiles in the European Union, while the industrial labour force remains an important advantage.
At the same time, lower scores for infrastructure, scale, and industrial development indicate the areas where progress could support the next stage of growth.
Over the medium term, Colliers consultants estimate that Romania could reach a stock of 10-12 million square meters of modern industrial and logistics space by the end of the decade, if current trends continue. The pace of growth will, however, depend on the market’s ability to respond to increasingly important constraints: access to road and rail infrastructure, the availability of well-connected land, the capacity of energy networks, access to water in certain industrial areas, access to labour and the predictability of the economic and fiscal framework.
(Photo source: scanrail|Dreamstime.com)
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