The economic upswing in the Netherlands has made distribution centres an attractive investment arena, according to a report by international property consultancy Savills

The report said investment in what it terms logistics real estate – distribution centres – rose by 58% year-on-year. Non-Dutch firms were major investors in the expanding sector, Savills said.

Total investment reached €1.7bn last year, up from €1.1bn in 2016, with non-Dutch companies accounting for 83% of the total.

The biggest transactions in 2017 were made by German supermarket operator Lidl which leased 80,000 m2 of warehouse space in Venlo and another 60,000 in Roosendaal.

The highest rents were seen at the area around Schiphol airport where the going rate ranged between €60 to €95 per m2. The rate in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht was €45 to €65. I

Savills said 2018 is set to become another record year in the sector, with strong investment in both speculative and build-to-suit segments of the market. The company said that rents for distribution centres is higher in the Netherlands than in Germany.