Long-term, owner-developer of European warehouse properties, P3 Logistic Parks, has signed an exclusive agreement to partner with Virtuplex, Europe’s largest B2B virtual reality laboratory, to explore the application of VR technology in the logistics warehouse space.

Virtuplex opened its physical and virtual doors in March this year, servicing a diverse range of customers. In a few short months, the Virtuplex facility has transformed into an automotive showroom, a bank branch, as well as an Industry 4.0-ready warehouse facility. “The possibilities are”, according to Virtuplex co-owner, Pavel Novak, “simply limitless.”

The laboratory, which is part of the family of digital companies Etnetera Group, chose to set up shop in P3 Prague Horní Počernice thanks to its strategic location on the outskirts of the Czech capital, nearby major commerce, automotive and manufacturing hubs. Virtuplex was also after space. Lots of it. P3’s Class-A warehouses provide a perfect backdrop for the creation of just about any sort of virtual experience.

The partnership, the first of its kind in mainland Europe for Virtuplex, will enable P3 to showcase its innovative approach around warehouse design, interior fit-out, and sustainable solutions. In a few short weeks, P3 will welcome customers, partners and municipalities to the Virtuplex laboratory to experience a fully-immersive, interactive experience. The user will be able to view different sizes and configurations of P3 warehouses and customize the interior fit-out with racking, manufacturing lines, robotics, mezzanine and overall layout (warehouse vs office content). The user will also be able to view interactive details about the warehouse building standards, materials, and sustainable technology as options within a P3 warehouse.

Tomas Micek, P3 Managing Director of Czech Republic states, “Innovation is part of P3’s DNA. This cooperation with our customer, Virtuplex, demonstrates our ambition to be a good partner and forward-looking company, in that order. P3 recently concluded a report, together with Analytiqa and CBRE, the Czech Republic’s first ‘Confidence Index’. All signs point to the need for logistics companies and manufacturers to invest in new technologies, especially given the pressure on sourcing skilled, the available workforce in the region. P3 is looking to provide smart solutions for these companies, so they can anticipate future business needs, and the impact of new technology and warehouse fit-out on operational outputs.” 

“We have a range of customers from the logistics sector, retail, automotive and even manufacturing. But Virtuplex is the first VR customer occupying a Class-A warehouse that I’ve ever heard of. It’s a first on many levels, not least that we have a customer happy with an almost empty building!” says Daniel Kubiznak, Head of Leasing & Development P3 Logistic Parks Czech Republic, who foresees value in VR for customers in areas including e-commerce and the automotive industry.

“It’s incredible where VR is taking us. An e-commerce building is a highly sophisticated and complicated machine. Taking the risk out of operation before heavy investment can only be a plus. I also see a huge number of applications for the real estate industry such as virtual staging, remote maintenance, as well as advanced picking and put-away capabilities.”

Martin Petrovický, Virtuplex’s co-owner states: “We have been looking for suitable premises for our extraordinary project for quite a long time. At first, it seemed that we would have a lot of options. However, when you specify all of the requirements – such as a large unobstructed space, a modern and clean environment for sensitive technology, adequate energy efficiency to keep comfortable temperatures in the winter, transport accessibility, parking spaces, and suitable offices, we found very few properties that meet these requirements. People from P3 were helpful and able to deal with all of these needs, which were not very common. We are pleased to stay here in P3 Prague Horní Počernice, where we have found an ideal space for our digital VR lab.”

About P3

P3 is a long-term owner-developer of European warehouse properties with more than 4.3 million m2 of assets under management and an extensive land bank for further development. P3 has operations in 11 countries and has been investing and developing in European markets for almost two decades. Headquartered in Prague, P3 employs more than 150 people across 10 offices in key European cities, offering integrated land, construction, and after-care services. P3 is wholly owned by GIC. For more information about P3, please visit www.p3parks.com