New hi-tech, mega-logistics centers take shape west of Athens

In the industrial town of Aspropyrgos, west of Athens, new facilities are being developed that promise to establish Greece as the logistics hub of Southeast Europe.

Drawn by Greece’s geostrategic location at the crossroads of three continents, investors are earmarking close to three-quarters of a billion euros to build next generation, hi-tech warehouse and distribution centers in the area. And with the busiest container terminal in the Mediterranean a few kilometers away – and the Greek government planning some €10 billion worth of new road, port and rail infrastructure projects – Aspropyrgos is poised to become a vital link in global supply chains between Asia and Europe by decade’s end.

The most emblematic project is the Thriasio Freight Village being developed in joint venture by Greece’s Goldair Group and ETVA Industrial & Business Parks. With a budget of approximately €260 million, it is the second largest private investment in Attica – the region around Athens – behind the ongoing, multibillion euro redevelopment of the old Athens airport at Hellenikon. The project is due to be completed by the end of 2028 and will feature storage facilities covering 265,000 square meters.

Meanwhile, Inter IKEA, an affiliate of the Swedish furniture giant, and its Greek partner, the Fourlis Group, are investing €70 million to develop an international distribution center in Aspropyrgos for the Eastern Mediterranean. The center will initially serve IKEA stores in Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan, Israel, and Cyprus, with plans to expand to countries like Egypt.

Nearby, the old facilities of steel company Hellenic Halyvourgia will also be transformed into a logistics park as part of a €300 million investment by U.S.-based private equity group HIG Capital. The group has been acquiring logistics-related service companies around Greece and Southeast Europe over the past several years with an eye to creating an integrated group that would be a leader in the region.

Greece’s METRO group, a major supermarket chain, is also developing a logistics center in Aspropyrgos, covering more than 45,000 square meters. The project, costing €70-80 million, aims to enhance the Group’s supply chain and is expected to be completed within the next five years and with operations potentially beginning in late 2027.