Coworking: IWG signs agreements for 21 new openings in Italia

Data from various think tanks and many companies that have made hybrid working a permanent feature suggest that hybrid working – partly in the office, partly at home or in co-working spaces – will continue to be one of the main ways of working. According to the International Workplace Group, the Zug-based company in Switzerland, which offers hybrid working solutions and co-working spaces, the growth outlook is for a further 1.2 billion white-collar workers globally, with a potential target market of over 2,000 billion dollars. In the first half of the year, the company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, reported a 6 per cent increase in revenue to over 2 billion euros and an EBITDA of 265 million euros.

IWG’s aim is to bring flexible working directly into the heart of local communities, where demand is highest. This is another reason why IWG’s new offices are located in suburban areas and provincial towns, thanks to the boom driven by very high property prices in city centres, which are forcing people to move to outlying areas.

IWG operates, amongst others, under the Regus and Spaces brands and, in the first half of this year, finalised agreements to open 728 new locations globally, 21 of which are in Italia, across various regions, including Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio, Campania and Sicily. The expansion of the network is driven by the growing demand for hybrid working, including in the Italian market, which, with these new locations, is confirmed as a strategic focus: they are the result of the steady growth of the accessible network of flexible workspaces, which allows people to have hubs close to home, yet in a professional environment, often capable of fostering further professional relationships. Christian Schmitz, CEO of International Workplace Group, describes it as ‘an extraordinary half-year. Every new opening strengthens our nationwide presence, offers customers even more choice and generates new business opportunities. Our expansion is wide-ranging: from major international cities to provincial towns and local communities, where hybrid working is opening up entirely new possibilities. We have enormous potential ahead of us.”

Furthermore, Wojo has joined the IWG network as a partner, adding 186 properties to the global platform and formalising a long-term partnership with the Accor hotel group, with new opportunities on the horizon to integrate IWG solutions into an ever-increasing number of hotels.