AEW Europe, one of the world’s largest real estate investment and asset managers[1], announces the launch of the development of a c. 10,700 sqm urban light industrial park following the acquisition of the former Institut de Soudure site in Villepinte, France. This development will be carried out in partnership with Panattoni.
The project will be developed on a c. 19,400 sqm land plot located in the heart of the well-established “Paris Nord 2” business park. Situated less than 20 km north-east of Paris, the site benefits from strong road connectivity, with immediate access to major motorway networks (A1, A104) serving the Greater Paris region and Charles de Gaulle Airport, making it a highly sought-after location for industrial and tertiary activities.
The development will comprise the comprehensive refurbishment of a c. 3,700 sqm industrial building, repurposing the existing space and enhancing its sustainability credentials, and the construction of a c. 7,000 sqm new building following the demolition of an obsolete office asset. The refurbished building is expected to be delivered in Q3 2026, while the new construction is scheduled for completion by mid-2027.
Both buildings will meet the most demanding standards in terms of energy performance, functionality and sustainability, notably through the installation of heat pumps, e-charging stations for electric vehicles and photovoltaic panels on the roof. They will also target BREEAM “Very Good” and “Excellent” ratings respectively, as well as the BiodiverCity certification[2].
Cyrille Levassor, Deputy Head of Investments France at AEW Europe, commented: “With the support of our renowned partners, we have designed this ambitious development to meet the growing demand for high-quality light industrial premises in the heart of the dynamic and extremely well-connected Paris Nord 2 park. Thanks to its high technical and environmental specifications, the scheme will offer a broad range of unit sizes to meet the needs of occupiers of all types and scales, including local businesses.”
For this development, AEW Europe partnered with Panattoni France, Les Ateliers 4+, Kleidi, Franklin and Monassier.
Photo credit: ©Les Ateliers 4+.
[1] Source: 2025 IRE.IQ Real Estate Managers Guide”. The Guide, published annually by Institutional Real Estate, Inc., ranks real estate managers based on the gross value of real estate AUM ($m) as of December 31, 2024.
[2] Additional information on ESG practices is available upon request
About AEW
AEW is one of the world's largest real estate asset managers, with €73.1bn of assets under management as at 31 December 2025[1]. AEW has over 820 employees, with its main offices located in Boston, London, Paris and Singapore and offers a wide range of real estate investment products including comingled funds, separate accounts and securities mandates across the full spectrum of investment strategies. AEW represents the real estate asset management platform of Natixis Investment Managers, one of the largest asset managers in the world.
As at 31 December 2025, AEW Europe managed €36.2bn of real estate assets in Europe on behalf of a number of funds and separate accounts. AEW Europe has over 510 employees based in 11 offices across Europe and and provides investment services across Core, Value-Add and Opportunistic investment strategies on behalf of its clients. In the last five years, AEW has invested and divested a total volume of almost €13bn of real estate across European markets.