In an interview with the Budapest Business Journal, Ferenc Gondi, managing director of CTP Hungary, explains how shifting demand, ESG priorities and nearshoring trends are reshaping both occupier expectations and developer strategies.
BBJ: How has tenant demand evolved in Hungary’s industrial and logistics real estate market in recent years, and what key trends are shaping decision-making today?
Ferenc Gondi: Tenant demand has become production-focused and significantly more sophisticated. While location remains essential, occupiers now prioritize the developers’ flexibility, scalability and long-term cost predictability. Decision-making is increasingly driven by available labor, total occupancy cost, operational efficiency and the ability to adapt quickly to changing business conditions. There is also a growing preference for established park environments offering services and infrastructure beyond the building itself.
BBJ: To what extent are energy efficiency and ESG considerations influencing tenant choices, and how are these factors translating into measurable business advantages?
FG: Energy efficiency and ESG have moved from “nice-to-have” to core decision factors. Tenants are actively seeking buildings that reduce energy consumption and support their sustainability targets. This translates directly into lower operating costs, greater energy security and improved compliance with corporate and regulatory ESG requirements. In many cases, it also strengthens tenants’ own market positioning and attractiveness to partners and investors.
BBJ: How is CTP adapting its development strategy to meet increasingly complex tenant needs, particularly in terms of cost efficiency, operational stability and customization?
FG: At CTP, we focus on delivering long-term value and stable partnerships in a continuously changing world. Our integrated model, under which we own, develop and operate our parks, allows us to offer cost-efficient, tailor-made solutions with high operational reliability. Our in-house teams create long-term flexible design, fast delivery and energy solutions to ensure stability and predictability. This enables us to respond quickly to tenant-specific requirements while maintaining economies of scale.
BBJ: Which regions in Hungary and Central Europe do you expect to see the strongest growth in the coming years, and what are the main drivers behind that expansion?
FG: In Hungary, we still see potential in the Budapest metropolitan area and along key logistics corridors, particularly towards the western and southern borders. Regionally, Central Europe remains the engine of Europe and will continue to benefit from nearshoring and supply chain restructuring. Key drivers include the strategic location, improving infrastructure, skilled labor availability and the ongoing shift of manufacturing to move closer to European end markets.
BBJ: What types of tenants are likely to drive demand in the coming years, particularly as manufacturing and supplier activity gain importance alongside traditional logistics?
FG: Beyond traditional logistics, we expect increasing demand from manufacturing, automotive suppliers, electronics and high-value production sectors. The growing role of nearshoring is bringing more complex, production-oriented tenants into the market. These occupiers typically require higher technical standards, customized solutions and stable, long-term operating environments.
BBJ: How would you define the “industrial park of the future,” and how is CTP bringing this concept to life through projects such as its large-scale developments in Hungary?
FG: The industrial park of the future is a fully integrated business ecosystem with solutions and services that enable efficient operation and a long-term, stable business environment. It combines strategic location, sustainable infrastructure, energy solutions and value-added services that support tenants’ growth from the labor perspective. At CTP, we bring this vision to life by developing large-scale parks with long-term planning in mind, focusing on community, services, renewable energy and flexibility, creating environments where companies can operate efficiently and scale with confidence.
Ferenc Gondi is an experienced leader with a diverse real estate-focused background, working with Continental Europe’s largest listed industrial real estate developer as CTP’s managing director in Hungary.
Gondi took over the managing director’s role at CTP in September 2022, having first joined the developer in July 2017 as its legal director. In between, he became business administration director in January 2021, and the following year was made COO and deputy country head.
He began his career in the legal profession in September 2011 with Hungarian law firms before gaining more specific real estate legal experience by joining Wing as a lawyer in September 2015.
Gondi has a Master of Business Administration, having studied with the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and Corvinus University of Budapest from 2019 to 2021.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of April 10, 2026.
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