Coworking concept established in Stockholm
With its UMA Workspace coworking concept, Technopolis is aiming to create attractive and modern office spaces for both large and small companies. The concept is already up and running in thirteen locations around the Nordic and Baltic regions. UMA Kungsbron is the company’s first venture in Sweden, and more specifically Stockholm, where demand for office space is at a premium.
The modern-day shortage of office space in major cities has resulted in a struggle among companies to secure any available premises with a central location, generally at a high price.
“There is not enough space in Stockholm city, which has created a huge demand for modern and flexible office spaces. Establishing UMA Kungsbron in an unbeatable location is a step in the right direction for satisfying this demand,” says Niko Pulli, Director of Services at Technopolis.
Technopolis is a Finnish listed company that runs business parks in six countries in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The business includes the UMA Workspace coworking concept: flexible and modern office premises in attractive locations. In addition to Sweden, the concept can also be found in Finland and Norway, as well as Russia, Estonia and Lithuania. The company recently entered the Danish market and signed a rental agreement for a property in Copenhagen, on a side street off popular shopping street Strøget.
Interior design Scandinavian style
With its establishment in Stockholm, Technopolis is focusing on offering more customers fresh and accessible premises in the heart of the city. When UMA Kungsbron on Klara Strand opens in May, it will offer 2,350 m2 of office space with a variety of activity-based workstations, private office areas and 7 conference rooms. The interior of the office has been designed by Gullstén-Inkinen and the interior furnishings, characterised by Scandinavian design from brands such as Finland’s Marimekko and Artek, have been supplied by Input interior. The central location of the premises is ideal for companies with head offices in the suburbs who want to be able to hold customer meetings or presentations close to the city centre.
“We see UMA Workspace as the ultimate extension of your own office,” says Mille Milehem, COO at Input interior, which has supplied the interior furnishings for UMA Kungsbron. “We feel that digitisation has now come so far that actual premises are not a requirement or a limitation. In fact, we believe in this so much that we offer other players, such as architects and interior design consultants, the opportunity to use our premises and showrooms when they need to. Consequently, we are reviewing the possibilities of using our areas in a different way, e.g. by reducing our own working areas and offering them in a different way, and coworking could be one of several options,” continues Mille.
Focus on flexibility
Flexibility is the keyword for Technopolis’ coworking concept, and UMA members who travel a lot can make use of all UMA Workspace venues in different cities. For those who need office space for the day or just for several hours’ work, a day pass solution is a suitable option.
“Our coworking space in Stockholm will have the same profile as the one in Helsinki. We have several customers who are frequent travellers and likely to use the new UMA Kungsbron when in Stockholm on business, since it is just a stone’s throw from the station and the express line to Arlanda. Other tenants, such as established companies and also growing companies, gain benefits in the form of the possibility of networking and making valuable contacts through the community format offered by UMA Workspace,” continues Niko Pulli.
More investment to come
Moving forward, Technopolis wants to continue to invest in delivering quality, flexible coworking experiences for entrepreneurs throughout the Nordic and Baltic regions. The company has earmarked EUR 30 million for building a network of 20 new UMA Workspaces in order to meet demand in the major cities.
“The new UMA Kungsbron venue is an ambitious first step in Stockholm, but that’s just the beginning,” promises Niko.
