JLL has successfully rented out the Albatros Business Centre in Prague 1. Almost 3,500 sqm of space on Národní třída will be occupied from spring 2019 by Spaces, a global coworking giant of Dutch origin, which will become a major tenant of the building next to Česká spořitelna. This opening of the first branch in the Czech Republic indicates a growing interest in this type of office.

Operators of co-working spaces rented nearly 20,000 sqm of office space in existing or developing buildings in Bucharest in H1 2018, which represents a 13,4% share in the total transaction volume, estimated at around 150,000 square meters, according to data from Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.

Heiko Himme has been appointed Head of Real Estate Central Europe at WeWork. Currently Head of Office Agency Germany and Team Leader Office Agency Berlin for Cushman & Wakefield, Heiko will join WeWork by the end of the year. Kathrin Hellwig who has been with Cushman & Wakefield since 2013 will take over his responsibilities as Team Leader of Office Agency – Berlin with immediate effect.

Romania becomes the seventh country in which Mindspace offers its flexible workplace solutions, following a leasing agreement Globalworth has just signed. Mindspace will start operating in three Bucharest buildings, on approx. 12,000 sqm across Globalworth Campus, City Offices and Bucharest Tower Center. At the same time, Globalworth is investing $10 million in the company to support its ongoing growth.

HubHub, the co-working concept from international real estate developer HB Reavis, has announced the opening its first space in Hungary by the end of this year. The debuting brand will occupy a total area of 2,400 sqm at the well-known downtown hub, Király street. The new office is not only about state-of-the-art space, but education, the pooling of talent and community building will also be strong pillars of its presence.

The area of shared offices in Prague will grow by 66% year-on-year. At the end of 2017 the total area was 16,500 sqm, and in 2018 it will increase to 27,500 sqm as the market delivers 11,000 sqm. The majority of these centres have been pre-leased. Shared offices are used in the regions as well. There are 76 coworking centres across the Czech Republic with a total area in excess of 25,000 sqm. According to Cushman & Wakefield’s estimates, the current area of shared offices will double by 2020.

In March 2018, Business Link and Skanska jointly launched a new business space located in the centre of Krakow. The High5ive office complex provides nearly 4,000 sqm of space, offering 140 offices, 24 co-working areas and 5 conference rooms. The project, following investments in Warsaw and Poznan, is another flexible office space opened jointly by Business Link and Skanska.

One of the fastest growing co-working chains has announced its entry into the Czech market. Business Link, hosted by Skanska, will open its first location in Prague in July of this year. At the Visionary office building located in Prague 7, the company will offer around 4,700 sqm of co-working space, including space for approx. 100 people, 159 private offices, and five conference rooms.

Demand for flexible workspace across the world saw record growth in 2017, according to the latest research from Cushman & Wakefield. The firm’s Co-working 2018 report reveals the extent to which the sector has evolved and matured with the UK leading the way globally.

Cushman & Wakefield signed a strategic partnership agreement with Polish start-up ShareSpace, recognizing the rapid growth of modern coworking office space for start-ups and SMEs, and changing office lease preferences of large corporations. Both partners will work together to further their expansion and promote technological and commercial solutions for flexible office leases.