Free capacities become coworking spaces
The Corona period gave flexible work concepts a boost. The start-up open2work enables workplaces and meeting rooms to be booked in company premises. Co-founder and CEO Lionel Ebener outlined the future of the office in a digital event organized by the Zurich Chamber of Commerce.
From Zurich, innovative ideas for flexible working are rolled out in Switzerland. One example is the Zurich start-up open2work , which was presented by the Zurich Chamber of Commerce (ZHK) in the fourth edition of the digital event series “Making Zurich Economy Visible”. As a speaker, open2work CEO Lionel Ebener outlined future scenarios for flexible work and your own platform solution. After discussions with many companies, he sees great interest in two parallel strategies: work in the employer's office and remote work at home or at coworking locations. Offices are increasingly becoming places of interaction and innovation.
With open2work, Ebener and his co-founder Alexandre Roque have created a platform that provides workplaces quickly and easily without having to set up their own office infrastructure. Coworkers can use this to rent a workplace or a conference room at companies with space at short notice. Since it was founded in early 2020, more than 25 companies throughout Switzerland have been won as partners who offer space on the platform. Ebener emphasizes: "The companies only have to grant access – the entire booking and payment process runs via open2work." That is why Ebener also compares its platform with that of Airbnb . One of the major advantages is that new room capacities can be gained quickly if there is a need. A framework agreement has already been signed with the travel company Kuoni. Open2work is in talks with other large companies such as the insurance group Swiss Life , which have many locations in Switzerland.
Ebener sees target groups not only as individuals and the self-employed, but also as entire companies. “Some start-ups have given up a fixed location entirely, work remotely and meet regularly in shared offices,” says Ebener. In addition, large companies were interested in package solutions, for example, to give employees flexibility. And in many cases, according to Ebener, partnerships also arise in the new office community, and relationships develop. To date, 80 percent of users have reverted to open2work after a test.
The digital event series "Making Zurich Economy Visible" was launched by the Zurich Chamber of Commerce ( ZHK ). Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to present their company for 45 minutes. The news agency Café Europe is the media partner of the series. Café Europe also publishes the news platform punkt4 , on which the digital voice of business is based.