Surge in demand for flexible workspaces as companies plan their office return

Republic of Work on Cork's South Mall has seen a 200% increase in enquiries about workspaces

Darren Sexton, the CEO of GuardYoo, with Lauren Duggan and Fiona Parfrey, two of the co-founders of We Are Riley, in the revamped Republic of Work on Cork's South Mall. Picture: Darragh Kane

Companies exploring new options and new hybrid working arrangements for employees has resulted in a surge in requests for flexible working spaces.

Republic of Work on Cork's South Mall said they have experienced a 200% increase in enquiries about workspaces. The hub space is already home to more than 80 companies, and has carried out a renovation project in preparation for a return to office-based work from September 20.

With companies across the globe operating remotely for much of the past 18 months, there is wide expectation that firms in Ireland will adopt hybrid working models combining office-based work with working from home. It means shared spaces are also seeing demand increases.

Backing from VoxPro founders

Republic of Work has seen significant investment from Cork-based entrepreneurs and founders of VoxPro, Dan and Linda Kiely, who have worked on developing the business with one of its original founders Dave Roynane.

"People want the flexibility that working from home brings, but collaboration and being part of a community is still equally important," Dan Kiely said. 

Both Linda and I are delighted to help foster and encourage the next wave of entrepreneurship in Cork and we’re looking forward to seeing many of Cork’s startups grow on a global scale. 

General Manager at Republic of Work, Frank Brennan, said there is certainly a demand for a new culture of workspace. "It is fantastic to see new businesses emerging and thriving under our roof despite the pandemic," he said. 

Republic of Work is part of the NDRC Irish Tech Hub Network and home to the Teamwork Catalyst incubation and accelerator programmes, where several of the startup companies based there are set to double in size over the next year. 

Mentorship-driven programmes

The hub is prioritising the delivery of mentorship-driven accelerator and pre-accelerator programmes and pre-seed funding to entrepreneurs in the Cork and the surrounding region.

Cybersecurity company GuardYoo is one of the firms based in Republic of Work and is part of the Teamwork Catalyst incubator for early-stage startups. It plans to double its workforce over the next year, expanding to 15 employees initially, before reaching 20 by the middle of 2022.