Expert commentary by Michal Kubeš, Head of Sales CEE at Rohlig SUUS Logistics.
At Rohlig SUUS Logistics, we closely observe these trends as we manage our customers’ supply chains. We are well established across the region, with operations in Poland – our home market – as well as in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia. This raises a key question: what are the core competitive advantages of CEE?
Stable growth and strong economic convergence
Central and Eastern Europe has demonstrated stable and sustained economic growth over the past decades – especially when compared to some of Western Europe’s largest economies, such as Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom, which have faced more recent volatility. This stability is a critical factor for both local and international companies planning long-term investments.
Since 1990, CEE economies have expanded by 4–7 times, growing 2–3 times faster than Western Europe and becoming one of the fastest-converging regions globally. Poland and Romania stand out in particular: between 1997 and 2022, their GDPs grew by approximately 172% and 134%, placing them among the fastest-growing economies in the European Union.
A large and increasingly affluent consumer market
CEE is not only a production base, but it is also a sizeable and increasingly attractive consumer market. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia together represent a population of over 85 million people. As incomes rise, so do consumption levels and expectations, which further increase the region’s attractiveness for new investments.
Importantly, these markets share many structural similarities–historical, economic and behavioural–which makes it easier to approach the region as a relatively cohesive business environment. The combination of scale and similarity creates strong conditions for efficient regional expansion. We see this both in regional brands successfully scaling across neighbouring markets and in global companies entering multiple CEE countries simultaneously.
A strategic location for pan-European supply chains
Beyond its internal market, CEE is also an attractive location for production and distribution, serving the whole of Europe. This trend has accelerated in recent years due to nearshoring and the growing need to build more resilient and shorter supply chains.
The region’s geographic position plays a crucial role. It serves as a natural gateway connecting Western, Southern and Northern Europe with Asia. Furthermore, transport infrastructure has been developing dynamically in recent years, supporting efficient distribution of goods – both through well-developed road networks (with Poland as a prime example) and expanding rail and transhipment infrastructure, although further investment, particularly in rail, is still needed to reach the level seen in Western Europe.
Seaports are another key asset. Ports such as Gdańsk and Gdynia in Poland, Koper in Slovenia, and Constanța in Romania are achieving record results and strengthening the region’s role in global trade. They provide flexibility in routing goods, improve efficiency and support cost optimisation in international supply chains.
One region, multiple specialisations
While CEE markets share many similarities, each country has its own distinctive characteristics—and this diversity is a strength of the region. As a result, CEE is able to attract investors from a wide range of sectors, building collective economic strength.
Poland serves as a key manufacturing and logistics hub, supported by a strong industrial base and the rapid growth of digital services. Romania stands out for its high growth rate, the development of IT and business services, strong inflows of investment in machinery and automotive, and a relatively high level of energy self-sufficiency, which is an important advantage for industrial projects. The Czech Republic remains one of the most industrialised and technologically advanced economies in the region, with a strong manufacturing base and a growing e-commerce sector. Slovakia is highly specialised industrially, with one of the highest per-capita levels of automotive production globally. Hungary plays a key role as an investment and manufacturing hub for foreign capital, particularly in automotive, including electromobility and lithium-ion battery production, as well as electronics and renewable energy. Slovenia, in turn, combines a high level of development and stability with a strong export orientation and a strategic logistics location at the crossroads of Central and Southern Europe.
Logistics as a key enabler of regional growth
As economic growth drives increasing demand for efficient logistics, success in CEE depends on the ability to operate across the entire region while maintaining strong local expertise. Different operating models are possible – from centralised distribution centres to decentralised networks of facilities – but in each case, having a partner capable of managing regional complexity is essential.
At Rohlig SUUS Logistics, we actively support our clients’ growth across CEE while strengthening our position as a leading logistics provider in the region. We operate logistics centres in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, and have recently launched warehousing services in Romania in response to growing demand. In total, we manage over 370,000 sqm of warehouse space across the region and provide customs services in all markets.
We provide road transport across the region: LTL, FTL and PTL services, including continuing to expand our distribution network in the V4 countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary), like newly launched regular connections such as the Rzeszów-Košice route. We also support global supply chains through sea, air and rail transport, intermodal solutions, customs services and project cargo. Our approach is based on tailored Supply Chain Solutions – starting with a detailed analysis of the client’s processes and leading to an integrated operating model aligned with the client’s operational processes and strategic business objectives.
