Month: February 2020

The Fujitsu Poland Global Delivery Centre team in Łódź seems to be at a watershed moment. So far, the centre has been operating in two locations in Łódź, providing a wide range of IT services to clients from all over the globe. Now, it has decided to consolidate its office. From 2022, employees of the local branch of the leading Japanese IT service provider will be taking up technological challenges in the revitalized quarter of Łódź.

Fujitsu Technology Solutions is the largest IT infrastructure provider, operating on all the major markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Its clients include large enterprises, SMEs, and individual clients.

The company began its Łódź journey in March 2009 with the opening of the Fujitsu Poland Global Delivery Centre – a key location in the Fujitsu global service network. The centre provides IT support services for global clients as part of remote IT infrastructure management (end clients and data centres), application services, research on the development of new technologies and innovative products, as well as financial and accounting management for Fujitsu branches. It is here where hundreds of specialists provide solutions and support 119 leading brands from all sectors: finance, banking, automotive, services, industry/production, and telecommunications 365 days a year, 24/7.

On a daily basis, the Service Desk (first and second line support) works in 21 languages, including English, German, French, Hungarian, Italian, Turkish, Slovenian, Greek, and Czech.

The decision to consolidate and choose a new location is another step in the company’s growth in Łódź. Fujitsu will take up 16,300 sqm of the Fuzja office space. The new headquarters will be built in the immediate vicinity of the historic Art Nouveau CHP plant, which soon is going to be refurbished and adapted to new functions.

– Since the opening of the first building in Łódź in 2009, each subsequent stage of our move has stemmed from our continuous growth. Over time, we opened new business lines and hired more specialists, so naturally our teams expanded. It was starting to be a tight squeeze. In spring 2016, we decided to launch a second Łódź location – says Piotr Jankowski, Managing Director of the Fujitsu Poland Global Delivery Center. – Employee reactions were completely different. We were learning to operate from two locations, but the dynamics of our development and the voices of our personnel showed that consolidation was a must. A positive work environment and the type of cooperation which blurs the division into business lines or structural hierarchy are the two key elements making our approach to services and organizational culture unique. There is nothing more important to us than our employees feeling comfortable at work, hence the search for one shared location. The question arose – what a new shared destination should be like: more campus-style (like Textorial Park) or more office-style (like University Business Park). We asked our employees about their dream office. The survey conducted by the Colliers International team clearly indicated an inclination for a campus. Fuzja will make it happen. It will give us a place where our entire Fujitsu team will be able to work under the same roof in the very heart of the city, go out for lunch when off-duty, organise team-building events, eat dinner with the client, or quickly run their private errands – this is our dream come true. We are already counting down the months until moving – he adds.

Fuzja, developed by Echo Investment, will breathe new life into this part of Łódź. The nearly 8 hectares of the post-industrial city space in Tymienieckiego Street are undergoing revitalization. The historic buildings will regain their former splendour and become filled with people again thanks to their new functions. New facilities will be built to supplement the existing urban fabric with places to live, work, and socialise. The entire city quarter will re-open to welcome employees, residents, and visitors. The bustling Fujitsu centre will be created in the immediate vicinity of residential flats, shops, restaurants, cafés, local squares, and shared spaces full of greenery.

– The decision of Fujitsu to choose Fuzja for their new joint headquarters of Fujitsu Poland Global Delivery Centre proves that the project has great assets. The project works are gaining momentum. Although there is still a lot to be done, today we are celebrating another ground-breaking moment for the project. We are proud to announce that the Fuzja community will be joined by the great people working in the Fujitsu teams. From the very outset, we have been emphasising that what we are creating is a very unique space on the map of Łódź. Services at your fingertips, delicious coffee just around the corner, a great restaurant for lunch breaks, green squares perfect to take a breather or attend a compelling meeting or event – that is what Fuzja is all about. A colourful bustling space full of people who simply like where they are – says Katarzyna Kubicka, Regional Director at Echo Investment’s Office Department.

Colliers International helped to choose the final location and eleborate hone contract details by Fujitsu. act BSWW advised Fujitsu on legal issues.

– Historically fuelled by the textile industry, Łódź is experiencing a renaissance. Revitalization of entire city quarters what can be proved by Fuzja, launching new projects, excellent job market, and availability of highly-skilled specialists attract the biggest players from the business services sector (SSC/BPO). This is further corroborated by the decision to expand Fujitsu in Łódź. Consolidating the existing company locations and choosing Fuzja for a new headquarters is a breakthrough moment. We are glad that we can be part of this process and celebrate the signing of the third largest office space lease agreement on the Łódź market – says Marcin Włodarczyk, Regional Director of Colliers International in Łódź.

– Thanks to projects such as Fuzja, city parts gain a unique character, being valuable for residents and businesses. This is an extremely positive trend on the Polish real estate market. We are extremely pleased that we could advise Fujitsu while concluding a lease agreement in such a unique place and with such a significant transaction on the office space commercialization market. It is another project where we support our client – says Alicja Sołtyszewska, Partner at act BSWW.

act BSWW has advised MK Holding Sarl, a company controlled by Mariusz Książek, on a joint venture project carried out with a company belonging to DeA Capital group, an Italian based, world-wide investment group focusing on real estate and equity investments.

The project consisted in setting up a joint venture company which will focus on real estate asset management services in Poland.

act BSWW has rendered complex legal services including representation of MK Holding Sarl within negotiating the terms of the investment agreement as well as representing both parties within the whole competition clearance process and assisting the parties within the process of completion and setting up the JV vehicle.

The transaction was led by Jakub Salwa, with participation of Janusz Szeliński and under supervision of Piotr Smołuch.

Adventum International, an investment fund operating internationally, has purchased Katowice Business Point. Covering a usable area of over 17,500 sq.m., the building is located in a fast-growing district of Katowice. It is the third project launched by the investment fund in Poland over just seven months – in June and October, Adventum purchased Poznań Financial Centre (Poznań) and Renaissance Plaza (Warsaw).

Katowice Business Point is located at Ściegiennego 3, in the direct vicinity of the largest shopping mall in the Silesia region – Silesia City Center, and one of the most prestigious residential estates in Katowice – Dębowe Tarasy. As a business location, it offers many perks, easy access to transport services being one of them.

act BSWW advised the buyer throughout the purchase of shares in the company owning Katowice Business Point. The services provided by the law firm included due diligence audit of the property, drafting transaction-related documents, negotiation support and transaction-related advice.

The project team was led by Marek Wojnar (attorney-at-law and Managing Partner, co-heading the real estate practice of the law firm) and Marta Kosiedowska (attorney-at-law, Partner), with the support of Katarzyna Góra (attorney-at-law, Senior Associate). Due diligence audit was prepared under the direction of Magdalena Banaszczyk-Głowacka (attorney-at-law, Partner).

– The fund’s investment strategy focuses on office and retail projects in the CEE region, Poland in particular, says Marta Kosiedowska, Partner at act BSWW. We are happy to see the dynamic development of our Client’s projects and appreciate the trust placed in us, she adds.

Adventum is a group of boutique investment fund management companies focused on Central European real estate investments. The Group’s personnel includes highly experienced real estate professionals with CFA, NRW and MRICS qualifications, with a combined investment experience of 70+ years. The management has so far executed investments in the CEE region with a total value of over EUR 1.5bn.

The seller was represented by Dentons.