Cristina Pop, P3 Romania: All logistics professionals are looking towards operating system efficiency

In the latest discussion panel of re:FOCUS on Retail, Couriers & Logistics 2024, Cristina Pop, Head of Asset Management at P3 Romania, delivered a profound analysis of the evolving landscape of logistics and industrial development in Romania. Drawing from her extensive experience, Cristina highlighted the importance of strategic location and operational efficiency in maximizing the potential of logistics facilities. Through her insights, Cristina provided valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the logistics sector in Romania.

“To clarify the type of investors or owners interested in such ventures, fortunately, our country has a wide range of such investors. Depending on each one’s strategy, we might see speculative developments in the near future, though the absorption potential of new spaces and the proven resilience of certain locations, which history has shown to be the best and most durable, should be considered. All logistics professionals are looking towards operating system efficiency, making automation an integral part of the warehouse interesting and sensible for long-term contracts, considering the dimensions needed by the logistician.

From personal experience within the P3 park, we have a CFR station, including for passengers, that stops constantly. It’s more about our mentality as Romanians because, despite trains running at decent hours from P3 to Bucharest North in 20 minutes, people prefer to come by car or minibus, even if it means staying in traffic rather than taking the train. We need to work on this aspect. Location is extremely important in any city, not just in large ones, because it’s about time and the associated transportation costs, which keep multiplying, and even small cities have become extremely congested.

It’s only a matter of time until either they will be relocated because they have no choice, or the respective owners will upgrade those buildings to current standards. Given recent events and the standard of warehouses currently being built for logistics or production activities, these need ISU (Emergency Situations Inspectorate) approvals to meet European standards.

Managing clients of 300-400 sqm is indeed more intense than tenants of 5000 sqm or more. However, these smaller tenants today might grow to medium or large sizes in a few years. It greatly depends on the type of investor willing to undertake this, and regarding power, yes, it’s limited in our country. Specifically for our park, having an existing power supply was a decisive factor in choosing P3 as the future production space for a company that relocated to a central city location in the west zone of the park. Indeed, otherwise, it would take at least 6 months to a year to supplement with an extra megawatt or two.

Looking at spaces with areas of 300-500 sqm, we’ll see many are owned by local rather than institutional investors, who hold the maximum percentage of the total industrial and logistics spaces.”