Home > Research > Q4 2016 Marketbeat Belgium Industrial
- The market has remained resilient to a globally difficult economic context. Indeed, industrial production growth in Belgium was significant for the first time in years (+4.2%), consumer and business confidence indexes have increased in the last months of the year. Additionally, reforms are being carried out to reduce the cost of labour and increase competitiveness, a thorny issue for logistics in particular over the past years.
- Semi-industrial take-up in 2016 remains at the same peak level as 2015 with a total of 854,000 sq m, this in spite of a substantial decrease of the number of deals recorded.
- Logistics take-up has rebounded spectacularly to achieve a record level of 1,075,000 sq m in 2016. This record can be attributed to buoyant demand in Flanders and Wallonia, a key role played by supply chain occupiers, in particular through large deals, often the result of centralisation of logistics activities.
- Supply chain companies occupied their usual spot at the head of the most active occupiers ranking, denoting a clear preference for Grade A spaces.
- The semi-industrial prime rent has increased to EUR 58/sq m/year in 2016 on the back of this record-level year.This level is found in the Brussels periphery. The logistics prime rent of EUR 58/sq /m/year recorded in 2015 is maintained throughout 2016 thanks to strong demand in the northern periphery of Brussels.