Universal Investment Ireland, part of the fund services platform and Super ManCo Universal Investment Group, has launched alternative investment fund manager ( AIFM) services for Irish-domiciled real estate funds.
The first mandate involves taking over the alternative investment fund manager function for the Irish Collective Asset-management Vehicle (ICAV), a corporate investment fund structure holding Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, one of Ireland’s retail hubs.
Hines Real Estate Ireland will continue managing the property, while Universal Investment Luxembourg assumes the role of the investment manager. The transfer of the AIFM function to Universal Investment Ireland aims to streamline operations and leverage the group’s expertise across its three major domiciles—Luxembourg, Ireland, and Germany.
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Keith Milne, CEO of UII, said: “For us, this is a significant step in developing our Irish product range to suit client needs. To deliver best-in-class solutions for our clients, we consistently utilise the expertise of the UI Group to grow and evolve. At the group level, we have been offering real estate solutions in Luxembourg and Germany for around 15 years, with completed transactions and AIFM services amounting to approximately €42 billion.”
Marcus Kuntz, Universal Investment Group’s head of sales and fund distribution, added: “We are seeing great demand for our services as efficiency is becoming increasingly important to many asset managers and asset owners. We are confident that our experience gained from holding over 1,200 properties for our clients and our broad range of investment solutions will enable us to score highly in Ireland as a fund hub in the future.”
