Smart warehouses planned for Klaipėda FEZ
The Klaipėda Free Economic Zone Management Company has signed an agreement with UAB SVS on the lease of a plot of land at Pramonės g. 18 and investments in it. As a result, a smart warehousing service Smart Box will launch in the area by next year at the latest.
The new investor plans to develop the site in several phases. The company is currently working on a design proposal for a 4,900 sqm building, with a preliminary plan to develop a two-storey warehouse building of around 1,400 sqm in the first phase of development, providing short- and long-term storage services to residents and businesses.
“We are still refining the service details, but we plan to offer the market a digitally-controlled smart storage service for items, goods, or equipment. We are monitoring the development of this type of services in other Lithuanian cities and abroad – the demand is obvious, but different markets have their own specificities. The facilities we are developing will offer a range of sizes of storage space for both residents and small businesses, from a few to several dozen square metres. In addition, the facilities will include state-of-the-art security and modern heating and ventilation systems, which will also allow the storage of a wide range of seasonal items without damage. In other words, it will be clean, safe, comfortable, and tailored to each client’s individual needs,” comments Darius Juozapavičius, the director of SVS.
According to him, the demand for such a service is driven by the shrinking size of homes, the increasing amount of holiday accommodation in seaside resorts, and various leisure and other trends.
The first phase of the development will involve an investment of around EUR 1 million. The company has obtained the official status of Klaipėda FEZ investor. Subject to smooth procedures, the company intends to start construction this summer and to open the building at the end of the year or early next year. By then, the physical and digital infrastructure will have been developed.
“With the significant improvement in transport links to the Klaipėda FEZ last year, we believe that this area is ideal for providing services to residents. Furthermore, it is very well connected to the southern part of the city, where there is a high concentration of apartment buildings. At the same time, we also see demand for smaller-scale and shorter-term warehousing services without long-term commitments among the business community of hundreds of companies in the Klaipėda FEZ,” comments Mr Juozapavičius.
According to Eimantas Kiudulas, head of Klaipėda FEZ, the new investment is significant in several respects – it will become another service-oriented facility in the area with virtually no environmental footprint, and it will also provide for smart solutions, which are increasingly relevant for the FEZ business community.
“For some time now, retail, distribution, and customer service companies have been successfully operating in our territory, so the Smart Box is a consistent continuation of this process, demonstrating the Klaipėda FEZ’s growing connection with the city and surrounding areas. Furthermore, we believe that the company’s innovative service will bring new experience and technologies to the Klaipėda FEZ business community and will further strengthen our modern business competencies,” says Mr Kiudulas.