What Makes an Industrial Park Future-Ready?
ESG & Sustainability Director Strahinja Mladenovic on the changing expectations of tenants and the future of industrial real estate.
How are sustainability expectations changing in industrial real estate, and why does this matter for tenants today?
Expectations have shifted from “nice-to-have” features to hard operational requirements: our tenants increasingly care about energy reliability and cost predictability, the ability to measure and report consumption data, and whether a site can support electrification and building automation without significat retrofits. What I see on the market is that across Europe, occupiers are actively “trading up” into buildings that are more efficient or “future-ready,” while vacating those that are not, because inefficiency shows up directly in operating costs, resilience, and day‑to‑day performance. In practice, this matters because sustainability is not only about perception; it’s about whether a tenant can run stable operations under grid constraints and rising performance expectations, and whether the building’s infrastructure is ready for the next wave of requirements, like solar and BESS‑readiness, EV / hydrogen charging, and more digital control of technical systems.
We often hear the term “future-ready parks” – what does that actually mean in practice?
To me, “future‑ready” means a building that can keep working well as energy systems, regulation, and tenant operations evolve, without needing disruptive and expensive rebuilding. That starts with robust utilities and power availability, because modern logistics and light manufacturing are becoming more power‑hungry, and market research increasingly highlights “ample power supply” and quality specifications as non‑negotiable for Grade A space. It also means new buildings that are designed for the upcoming regulatory direction: solar‑ready design tied to the EPBD recast (so solar can be installed without structural rework), EV‑charging infrastructure requirements, and lifecycle carbon transparency. But “future‑ready” also has to include climate resilience: we assess site‑specific climate risks—like heavier rainfall, surface‑water flooding, and other weather extremes—and then look for practical improvements where they’re needed, so the building stays reliable over time rather than becoming fragile when conditions change. And finally, it means “operationally future‑ready”: metering and controls that make performance visible, so owners and tenants can manage energy, water, and comfort because good quality data and controllability are what turn sustainability from a promise into an operational tool.
In what ways can sustainable solutions improve day-to-day operations for tenants?
The best sustainable measures are the ones tenants feel in daily operations: lower and more stable utility bills through energy‑efficient design and smart technologies, better oversight through monitoring and alerts, and fewer surprises thanks to preventive maintenance and clearer performance data. A good example is smart water metering and leak detection, which can help reduce losses, limit potential damage, and improve internal cost control, while also supporting more reliable consumption data for ESRS-grade reporting. On the energy side, on‑site renewables can support smarter energy use when paired with proper measurement and controls and BESS technologies.
What trends are currently having the biggest impact on industrial park development across Europe?
Three trends stand out. First, power and grid capacity are becoming strategic constraints where many grids are close to capacity and securing reliable electricity for more power‑intensive, automation‑ready warehouses is now critical, so location is no longer just “postcode,” but also “power availability.” What’s notable is that this is a broader, cross‑market shift: strong grid connections are increasingly treated as a real differentiator alongside transport links, and congestion can materially shape where demand concentrates and how much new supply can come forward. Second, regulation is moving from energy efficiency toward “digital + whole‑life carbon”: the EPBD direction includes solar‑ready design requirements and is pushing the market toward lifecycle carbon measurement and zero‑emission building standards over time. Third, the “flight to quality” is accelerating: occupiers increasingly prefer modern, efficient, technology‑capable buildings and are willing to move out of older, less efficient stock, making high‑quality, resilient assets more valuable, especially where development pipelines are more disciplined.
Looking ahead, what will define the most competitive industrial parks of the future?
The most competitive parks will combine energy resilience and flexibility, credible, measurable performance, and low‑friction compliance readiness. Energy resilience means not just adding PV, but designing sites so renewables, EV charging, and smart load management can be integrated without breaking operations—because the regulatory and market direction is clear on solar uptake and electrification. Credible performance means having the monitoring and control backbone that turns efficiency into something you can verify and improve. And low‑friction compliance readiness means being prepared for lifecycle carbon transparency and zero‑emission expectations, while also addressing environmental resilience topics that affect long‑term operability—like water management and climate‑resilient infrastructure.
What is one misconception businesses still have about sustainability in industrial real estate?
People still say that sustainability is either an extra cost/PR layer or a certificate to “tick the box,” when the real value is operational proof, metering and controls that reduce risk and costs, plus it supports blue-green infrastructure readiness.
What Sustainability Means for Accolade Tenants:
→ A significant part of the Accolade portfolio consists of modern, high-quality warehouse and logistics facilities that meet current market expectations. These buildings are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing efficient adaptation to tenants’ evolving operational and technological needs
→ Reduced operational costs through energy-efficient building design and the implementation of smart technologies across the portfolio
→ 9.4 MW of installed photovoltaic capacity supporting more efficient and responsible energy use
→ International sustainability certifications aligned with BREEAM standards applied across the portfolio
→ Nearly 30% of the portfolio developed on revitalised brownfield sites, contributing to the creation of modern infrastructure in strategic locations