finance
Berlin Industrial Projects Create Jobs in Startups, Logistics Sector
State plans for low-cost space and completed logistics units coincide with rising transaction volumes that point to steadier hiring in craft and distribution roles.
How we reported this
Berlin is moving ahead with a 12,000-square-meter state-owned industrial park in Lichtenberg that will offer low-cost commercial rents to startups and craft businesses. Planning for the site begins in 2026, according to city announcements. The move comes as the commercial transaction volume in the first quarter of 2025 reached €1.08 billion, up 105 percent from the prior year though still 25 percent below the five-year average, per data from Cushman & Wakefield.
Lichtenberg Site and Airport Park Target Specific Sectors
The Lichtenberg park is intended to keep rents affordable for smaller operators that often hire locally in trades and early-stage ventures. At the same time, SEGRO completed a 27,500-square-meter phase at SEGRO Park Berlin Airport that delivered 20 new light-industrial and urban-logistics units, all of which are now let. Two further 18,500-square-meter logistics buildings at the same park remain under construction for a June 2026 finish. These additions sit alongside a separate mixed-use project on Breite Straße in Berlin-Mitte that will include 70 apartments plus commercial space, with work scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2027.
Prime rents in the industrial and logistics segment have already climbed to €8.40 per square meter amid a 46 percent rise in take-up to 416,000 square meters in 2025 compared with 2024. The figures come from market reports that also note full occupancy at recently finished SEGRO buildings, reflecting sustained demand from distribution and light-manufacturing tenants.
Transaction Uptick and Talent Implications
The combination of public and private projects supplies measurable space that can support employment in craft workshops, startup operations and urban logistics. Low-cost units in Lichtenberg are expected to reduce overhead for firms that typically recruit technicians, fabricators and administrative staff from the surrounding districts. Fully leased space at SEGRO Park Berlin Airport indicates operators are expanding payrolls to handle increased throughput in last-mile and light-industrial activities.
Market participants tracking the Q1 2025 investment total of €1.08 billion report that capital is returning to projects capable of generating steady occupancy. This pattern tends to translate into openings for skilled tradespeople and logistics coordinators rather than broad speculative construction. A separate residential-and-commercial scheme on Breite Straße will add ground-floor commercial floor area that local retailers and service firms can occupy once construction advances after mid-2027.
City planners have signaled that the Lichtenberg site will prioritize tenants already active in Berlin’s craft and startup communities. Firms that secure space there can focus hiring budgets on local talent pools instead of competing for premium offices. The 416,000 square meters of 2025 take-up, paired with the new SEGRO units, shows concrete absorption that supports continued recruitment in distribution and light production roles across the eastern and southern corridors of the city.
This article is general information only and is not personal financial or investment advice. Consider your own circumstances and seek licensed professional advice before making financial decisions.