In 2019, the total amount of available industrial and logistics storage space in Romania reached 4.6 million square meters, a 10% increase vs. the previous year. Growth is up more than 50% over the past three years. Colliers International, a global commercial real estate services provider, predicts Romanian logistics facility space supply will continue growing and double to 8 million sq. m.

Since 2018, the AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG corporate group has been providing transport and logistics services to clients via its Bucharest office. Pawel Iwanow-Kolakowski, AsstrA Romania Country Manager, discusses the company's local market offerings and development prospects.

The widespread pandemic thwarted the plans of most entrepreneurs, including those in the logistics industry. Border closures and stringent border inspections hampered the smooth flow of goods between Romania and neighboring countries. The decline in demand in certain industrial markets led to a decrease in imports and exports. Despite the unfavorable circumstances, AsstrA's Romanian office has successfully executed its strategic plans. Turnover has remained at the same level compared to the previous year and moderate growth is expected by the end of 2020.

Pawel Iwanow-Kolakowski

“AsstrA’s Romanian office, like its other offices in 23 countries around the world, provides a wide range of logistics services. Cargo is delivered by road, rail, sea and air. During the pandemic, express delivery has become very popular because it supports the transportation of small cargo units in a short time,” says Pawel Iwanow-Kolakowski.

Among all the available modes of transport, road freight continues to play a dominant role. Many AsstrA Romania customers – including those from the automotive, high-tech, FMCG, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, agriculture, fashion, and construction industries – choose trucks to transport their goods in Romania. The main routes pass through Poland and Germany, France and the Czech Republic, Hungary, as well as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

To meet clients’ needs and stay competitive in domestic and international markets, the AsstrA Group implements digital solutions which support further development. These IT solutions include:

• AsstrA Track & Trace - a mobile application for 24/7 monitoring of cargo at every stage of transportation. The application synchronizes cargo location information with warehouse operational processes. It gives updates about possible changes to established plans.
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) integrates clients’ systems with the AsstrA Group’s operatonal systems.
• Supplier’s Portal is a key AsstrA initiative that supports the automation of cargo transportation processes. The platform uses artificial intelligence to provide customers with a high-quality transportation and logistics services while keeping rates competitive and delivery times fast.

“The market situation will remain challenging until the end of 2020, as the pandemic has hit both local and global markets. Optimistic forecasts indicate that the second quarter of 2021 will possibly bring recovery and more international projects,” says Pawel Iwanow-Kolakowski.