Romania: ElectroPutere Parc becomes Oltenia’s main IT hub by area and demand

The well-qualified workforce, good infrastructure and location close to the University of Craiova – the largest university centre in south-western Romania, alongside the EP Mall which offers various entertainment options, have consolidated ElectroPutere Parc’s position as the main innovation and technology hub in the region. Companies such as Hella, Ubisoft, Operative and Endava have signed leases with the French real estate group Catinvest, which owns and manages ElectroPutere Parc.

Nicolae Neagu, Location Manager of Hella, the German leader specialising in lighting and electronics systems for the automotive industry with multinational operations.

“The decision to lease over 6,500 square metres in ElectroPutere Parc, which accommodates more than 500 employees, was influenced by Catinvest’s ability to develop a building tailored to Hella’s requirements and needs. The building’s location is a considerable advantage as it is both in close proximity to university centres and near the EP Mall. The modern and attractive design, unconventional workspaces, such as the indoor terrace, contribute greatly to attracting and retaining talent”

Employees also have access to the underground parking area equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles, fully equipped kitchens, special spaces for technical hobbies, relaxation and informal communication. In Romania, Hella has been present for 17 years, with three design and development centres, an administrative centre and three production units, located in Timisoara, Arad, Lugoj, Craiova, with more than 4,500 employees.

Also Ubisoft, the French leader in the video game industry, which has rented 2,000 square metres for its Craiova headquarters, was looking for a space that would provide all the necessary resources so that the 150 employees in the Craiova studio could develop new entertainment experiences with global impact.

Cristian Pană, Managing Director Ubisoft Romania and Serbia..

“The open-space office layout that encourages creativity and collaboration, the seating areas that allow for moments of respite, the design elements that reflect our passion for video games, and the location of the office close to various points of interest for employees contributed significantly to our decision to lease. We have an IT infrastructure that meets our needs, as well as complete equipment so that our employees can carry out their work in the best conditions. We wanted a modern, spacious office with a wide range of facilities to match our ambitions to create the best gaming experiences. Among the facilities we can list bike parking, underground parking and a generous terrace”

An ultra-modern 850 square metre office space with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment of the highest standard at Electroputere Parc has also been leased by Operative, which focuses on providing advanced technology solutions to the world’s largest media companies.

Danut Mocanu, General Manager at Operative.

“Through this move, we are now able to expand our employee footprint in Craiova by leveraging this new modern office space. Mostly the decision to rent space in Electroputere Offices weighed the location, being within a modern technology park with higher traffic and interest, the full open space architecture, but also the rest of the facilities. The main open area is in line with IT standards, including industry-specific artwork, Zoom Rooms technology, high tech working equipment and other facilities that attract and motivate the employees, like a cafeteria with quality products, lounge and entertainment area, team activities and regular festivities. In addition, we are close to the University centers and EP mall. As more and more employees return to work in the coming months, we are happy to offer them facilities within the most attractive working environment at the highest standards, in an accessible part of the city”

Thanks to the arrival of Endava, the UK based IT company, the occupancy rate of Building A in the ElectroPutere Parc complex now exceeds 95%, as Catinvest continuously invests in creating productive and collaborative working environments for employees, providing facilities of the highest standards while focusing on safety and flexibility.

Craiova is becoming a more and more important centre for IT developments. The main asset of the Capital of Oltenia, is the well-trained IT and software workforce, plus the presence of a competitive and stable business environment and the existence of an international airport.

Bertrand Catteau, President of Catinvest Group.

“At Catinvest, our goal is to constantly develop ElectroPutere Parc, offering local businesses and residents an extremely well positioned and very accessible hub for working, shopping, eating and leasure. We are very proud that international IT companies like Hella, UbiSoft, Operative and now Endava chose ElectroPutere Parc to install their Headquarters in Craiova. I am convinced that the potential of ElectroPutere Parc as main IT Hub of Oltenia region will only grow in the near future and this is why we are already working on a new mix used building that will bring another 17.000 square metres of Class A office space”

Further development plans include additional retail, and other services such as co-working spaces and aparthotels with a total investment budget of almost €60 million over the next 2-3 years, contributing to the development of the region.

The French real estate group Catinvest also owns and manages several shopping centres in Romania – Carrefour Orhideea and Cora Pantelimon in Bucharest and Carrefour TOM in Constanta – as well as in Eastern Europe – Auchan Savoya Park in Budapest and Tesco Borska Pole in Plzen. Catinvest is also active in France in residential and shopping centres activities. In total, Catinvest owns and manages more than 525,000 square metres of spaces in France and Eastern Europe.