IWG, the global operator of leading workspace providers, has surpassed 50m sq ft of office space globally – reflecting soaring demand as businesses embrace a ‘workspace revolution’.
IWG added 314 new office buildings to its network in 2017, for a total of 5.5m sq ft of workspace in 2017. The amount of space added was 36% higher than in 2016, taking IWG’s global reach past the 50m sq ft marker. That’s the equivalent of 116 Wembley Stadiums, 261 Sydney Opera Houses or 3,718 Olympic swimming pools.
Demand for flexible workspaces is now truly global, with IWG expanding in regions across the world including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. IWG also opened workspaces for the first time in Angola, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iceland, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, as well as adding to its existing presence many other countries, helping more than 2.5 million people to work more productively.
IWG – through its diverse brands Regus, Spaces, No18, Basepoint, Open Office and Signature – can now offer businesses a base in almost 3,300 locations across 1,000 cities and towns in over 110 countries. Growth is continuing in 2018, with plans to open even more workspaces across the world.
Mark Dixon, IWG Founder and CEO, said that the increased appetite for flexible workspaces reflected that business leaders are seeing the benefits that they offer – and that 2018 could be a tipping point in attitudes to work globally.
“Businesses around the world are increasingly recognising that flexible workspace can create competitive advantage, cut costs, boost productivity, and help attract and retain talent. We are at the tipping point – and the results of this will transform the working experience for millions of people.”
Mr Dixon added: “This revolution is driven by technology and the increased ability for people to plug in and work from anywhere. It’s also important to note that flexible workspaces provide real advantages to organisations. All businesses – from start-ups to multi-nationals – can gain cost benefits, increase their strategic flexibility, and be more agile in today’s fast-moving and competitive digital environments.”
