Eastern Slovakia emerges as logistics gateway to Ukraine

The Slovak industrial and logistics (I&L) real estate market entered 2025 operating within a “new normal” environment, characterised by a stabilisation after record growth in 2021 and 2022. 

While overall tenant activity remains solid, the market has seen a noticeable cooling, prompting a shift in focus from expansion towards optimisation.

“One positive is that market activity is no longer concentrated exclusively in Bratislava, but is becoming more evenly distributed across other regions,” Lukáš Brath, Senior Research Analyst at Cushman & Wakefield Slovakia, said of developments during the year.

Although much of the market attention has so far primarily centred on Bratislava and western Slovakia in general, Volvo’s decision to build a new plant near Košice has redirected at least part of that focus towards the east of the country. 

This shift has also been driven by expectations around a recovery in Ukraine once the fighting in Slovakia’s eastern neighbour finally ends.

“Eastern Slovakia is becoming a natural gateway for the reconstruction of Ukraine – a combination of new automotive infrastructure, energy capacities, and a unique connection via the broad-gauge railway from Ukraine creates unparalleled potential in the region,” Michal Cerulík, Director and Head of the Industrial & Logistics Sector at CBRE Slovakia, told The Slovak Spectator. “If Ukraine’s recovery gains momentum, the Košice and Prešov regions could be among the first to benefit economically.”

Factors that matter

The current Slovak I&L landscape is being shaped by a number of complex factors.