The utilization of coworking spaces by corporate companies is on the rise. Factors feeding the trend include increased flexibility, lower costs, greater emphasis on employee values and the global drive towards innovation. However, corporates have their own strategic position when it comes to coworking. Why do they utilize such space and what are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so? And what benefits and challenges does this trend pose for the providers of coworking spaces?
It’s expected that more corporate companies will become coworking members over the next few years. Larger providers of company coworking spaces such as Mindspace, spanning Europe and Israel, host Microsoft and Samsung as corporate members. Serendipity Labs spans the US and similarly provides workspace to companies such as Amazon or General Electric.
It’s no surprise that providers increasingly experience higher numbers of corporate members when many corporate companies specifically integrate coworking into their business strategy. And the best part? It doesn’t begin and end with larger spaces. Even smaller providers, such as KAPTÁR, a coworking space in Budapest, run pilot projects with corporate companies to develop and establish relationships. But what exactly is driving these well-known, forward-thinking enterprises towards coworking?