Bain Capital and Stoneweg have formed a partnership to acquire a €200 million portfolio of six logistics warehouses in Italy through a forward-purchase agreement with developer VLD. This portfolio encompasses 225,000 square meters across three locations, including a 45,000-square-meter development in Greater Florence, a 150,000-square-meter project in Southern Rome expected to complete between late 2026 and 2028, and a 33,000-square-meter property in Greater Bologna set for delivery in the first half of 2027.

Rafael Coste Campos, a partner at Bain Capital, expressed optimism about the European logistics market. He noted that the partnership is well-positioned to leverage current market trends, including increased e-commerce and nearshoring, which are driving demand. The limited supply of modern, high-quality logistics spaces is contributing to low vacancy rates and rising rents.

Bain Capital's European grade-A logistics portfolio has reached a gross development value of $1.5 billion, and the firm aims to expand further. This acquisition is a significant step in their strategy and reinforces their long-term collaboration with Stoneweg.

Joaquin Castellvi, co-founder and head of strategic investments at Stoneweg, highlighted the resilience of the Italian logistics sector, which has maintained sub-5% vacancy rates and experienced a 121% increase in investment activity year-on-year. This growth underscores the sector's defensive nature amid global economic uncertainties.

The demand for logistics space is being driven by sectors such as renewable energy, luxury maritime, and e-commerce, supported by Italy's positive GDP and employment outlook. Castellvi anticipates strong demand for these sustainable assets and aims to leverage local expertise and current market opportunities to scale their platform significantly.