Freedom to expand

Property investors have discovered Adlershof. All over the technology park, new and prestigious office and commercial buildings are being constructed. However, anything new and prestigious comes at a price that is not always affordable for businesses in their start-up stages. Although new entrepreneurs are well taken care of in start-up centres they are still subject to time frames and specific restrictions regarding individual branches. So, what to do? Often, inventory properties such as the “Medien- Technologie-Centrum“ (MTC) are an alternative option for such companies as they come at a reasonable price and impose no time limit while leaving the possibility for expansion.

“In a way, we are something like a start-up centre,” says Navigo Capital Real Estate managing director Michael Probstel, whose company acquired the MTC in 2005, conferring to him the power of decision over a total of 21,000 square metres of office, storage and logistics spaces. “Except without any restrictions,” Probstel adds. Which means: no commitment to any particular branch, and no specified rental periods. “We are very free in our lease agreements.”

The companies located at the MTC – the solar technology company Skytron Energy, for example, or Tonbüro GmbH – are profiting from this freedom. The latter is a provider of services such as sound editing, designing, mixing and dubbing for cinema and TV productions. The company has just opened up a new cinema mixing studio – with 150 sound tracks the second biggest one of its kind in Berlin. Here, cinema acoustics are simulated in comparable environments. “Not having to move for this was a stroke of luck for us,” says a delighted Christian Riegel, managing director of Tonbüro GmbH.
The company believes in working door-to-door within an organic network of all trades involved in the dubbing of a movie. „Short distances, coordinated meetings and constant information synchronisation make work a lot easier. Together with Navigo Capital, we have always found ways to expand according to our needs.”

Skytron Energy, too, started out small at the MTC. The company produces software and control systems for solar arrays. Along with the renewable energies boom, both their business volume and their space requirements increased. Having started out on 100 square metres, Skytron now occupies as many as 600 square metres.

“If necessary,“ says Michael Probstel, “we even merge spaces to create ideal conditions for our tenants.“