Stories that move us

Stories that move us

As the leading real estate company, we create added value and sustainable living spaces, innovatively and passionately. Our real estate investments and products set high standards and we constantly strive to create added value for our stakeholders. We are steadfastly committed to sustainability and accept responsibility for our actions, our environment and the society.

Green leases – a marathon rather than a sprint!

With its Energy Strategy 2050, the federal government has set the course for a future of reduced environmental pollution. This means that sustainability issues and ESG (environment, social, governance) will continue to grow in importance and will be increasingly embedded in individual corporate strategies.

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Stücki Park – where life sciences and business come together

Since 2017, the site in Basel known simply as «Stüggi» to the locals is being completely transformed and repositioned. A former shopping centre has been turned into an urban development for leisure, entertainment, work and – above all – research, development and knowledge transfer. The former dyeing factory on the outskirts of the city is turning into an attractive life sciences hub of nationalimportance.

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Decarbonisation, net zero, buildings as power plants

Innovation smooths the way for sustainable executive management at Swiss Prime Site – and is firmly entrenched in our strategy. This enables us to implement innovation as an integrated principle across all our business fields. This is more important than ever in light of our climate target of «net zero by 2040».

Read Story

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Maaglive: an oasis for working, residential living and cultural activities

The site of the former Maag Zahnräder AG near the Hardbrücke railway station was revitalised by the construction of Prime Tower, the Cubus and Diagonal annex buildings and the Platform corporate building. The buildings continue to shape the region to this day. The Maaglive project now marks the beginning of a new chapter.

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

The real estate sector in the metaverse

Tech companies are investing billions in creating the next generation of virtual worlds. As part of this, real estate companies could look to expand upon their current business models in a targeted way. Yet not everything that is technically possible is likely to lead to success.

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Certification as a foundation for sustainable added value

We are convinced that sustainable, future-oriented governance increases the company's resilience. This particularly applies to Swiss Prime Site’s comprehensive real estate portfolio. The objective of certifying as many of the some 180 properties as possible enables the company to create a frame of reference, transparency and the foundation on which to generate ecological, economic and social added value for all stakeholders, for the long term.

Read Story

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

The next stage in real estate asset management

Addition isn’t just for maths – addition can also create synergies, pool knowledge and optimise customer benefits. In early 2022, the addition of Swiss Prime Site Solutions and Akara resulted in a single company. Officially completed in mid-2022, this successful merger represents the next stage in real estate management. 

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

A new era of opportunity for sustainability

The phrase «turning point» is commonly used in various contexts at the moment. Epidemiologists, for example, are using it to refer to a new era and the considerably higher risk of pandemics. Politicians, meanwhile, are using it in the context of the war in Ukraine to describe the presumed end of a stable European order, in particular among the major powers. The expression reflects the fact that recent events have had such a profound impact that a return to any previous state of normality is no longer conceivable.

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Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

New Work at Swiss Prime Site

Since spring 2022, Swiss Prime Site employees have been enjoying not just a unique work location, but also new office spaces that epitomise the spirit of New Work. The return of floor space by a tenant in the Prime Tower offered the rare opportunity to move closer together and to merge and redesign two adjacent storeys.

Read Story

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.

Real estate on the move

Convenience. E-commerce. Logistics. Real estate. Words that at first glance bear little relation to each other. Mention this to Peter Lehmann, CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien, and he starts to discuss it with great enthusiasm. It’s all about consumer habits, customer expectations, economic growth, traffic volumes and big potential for his employer.

Swiss Prime Site Immobilien Projects Infrastructure

The real estate market is constantly changing and so is the company over which Lehmann presides: Swiss Prime Site Immobilien. He and his staff always have their finger on the pulse of the economic situation and maintain a constant dialogue with their customers. For them, it is essential to continue to develop the portfolio, which is worth approximately CHF 11 billion and includes more than 190 facilities, and implement any new requirements or expectations. Currently, pure logistics real estate or buildings with high logistical standards are in demand. In previous discussions of these types of properties, people always imagined rural areas and distribution centres on greenfield sites, with dozens of trucks arriving every day. This has changed fundamentally over the past few years. «Logistics providers now want and need to be located closer to or in a town or city, so that they are able to keep their transport commitments to their customers,» says Lehmann.

This is due mainly to one reason: online business! The widespread use of the ubiquitous smartphone has changed consumer habits in general. Online ordering, products delivered to your doorstep and payment by credit card have all become so normal in 2018 that it’s hard to imagine a world without these facilities. And from the consumer’s point of view, they don’t want to. According to a study carried out by Credit Suisse, the number of packages transported in Switzerland has increased by more than 60% since 2015 and is set to continue to grow at a similar rate. Consumer expectations are also growing at the same pace. «Where previously people were happy to order something online at the beginning of the week and receive it on Friday, these days customers have very different requirements,» says Lehmann. Today, we expect the goods to be delivered to our door within 48 hours at the latest. In fact, 24 hours is already considered to be the norm. «In future, we will order in the morning and want the purchase to be at our home or a collection point in the afternoon,» he explains. But why is the CEO of Swiss Prime Site Immobilien concerning himself with e-commerce and retail in its broadest sense?

Digitalisation and thus online trading have a big influence on the flow of goods and distribution. Cost efficiency and time savings also play a significant role. This increases the demand of the logistics industry for central locations and buildings that are specifically tailored to meet their requirements. Swiss Prime Site Immobilien recognised this correlation at an early stage and has invested in projects in recent years that correspond to the industry. Lehmann explains how this became the focus of the real estate developer: «Our strategy has been, and remains, to orientate our portfolio strongly to prime locations. Ten years ago, logistics centres were still located far away from cities, but today they can sometimes be found on the outskirts or in urban areas. After all, the local distribution – the last mile – of goods is the key to success for many logistics companies. We help them with this by providing customised properties and an increasing number of central sites.»

Today, Swiss Prime Site Immobilien accounts for 5% of its portfolio as «warehousing» or logistics space. According to Lehmann, this proportion will increase further in the coming years. The real estate developer currently has two projects in the pipeline in this area. In Geneva, the «Espace Tourbillon» development, consisting of five buildings for commercial and industrial use, has been under construction since 2017, at a cost of several hundred million francs. The properties are linked by an integrated underground logistics terminal to ensure easy delivery of components and despatch of finished goods. Geneva city centre is just 20 minutes away. Another similar project is «West-Log» in Zurich-Altstetten, for which the foundation stone was laid in mid-October 2018. Here, a property is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of Zurich-Altstetten railway station and close to the motorway. This site with optimal transport links will enable the anchor tenant, «Elektro-Material» to distribute its goods quickly and cost-effectively within the city of Zurich.

Lehmann believes that Swiss Prime Site Immobilien will establish more projects like this in the future. He even goes a step further and says: «The demand for logistics real estate will not stop at the city boundaries. We will soon experience the next stage of this and see expensive inner-city locations becoming profitable spaces for distributors. Increasing volumes of traffic are likely to result in the overall stagnation of home deliveries of goods ordered online. Smaller collection points in city centres will become more important and ground floor space – currently, typical retail areas – will be in heavy demand.» But Swiss Prime Site Immobilien seems to be well equipped to deal with this. Addressing this specifically, Lehmann explains: «Our organisation is structured in such a way that we manage our stock and our projects very closely with the market and our customers. This means we can react quickly and easily to requirements and implement solutions for our customers.» Looking back at the company’s impressive history, there is every reason to believe him.