What we learnt in Porto

19th December 2023

It’s been nearly three weeks since the Shared Access team returned from the 2023 Coworking Europe Conference in Porto. As sponsors of the event, we hosted the pre-conference meetup drinks and Sam Jackman, our Chief Development Officer, was invited to take part in two expert panel sessions. We had the opportunity to meet some of the best coworking world experts and practitioners during the three day event and heard from numerous expert speakers as they shared their thoughts, insights and ideas on this fertile sector.

So, what did we learn?

Firstly, demand for coworking and flexible spaces continues to grow across Europe. Tom Sleigh, Head of Flexible Workspace EMEA Colliers, spoke with passion about the journey that companies and coworking operators are facing as we mature into this new way of working. There are many factors (such as T&Cs) that are not yet in full alignment, however, it’s an area of huge demand because it allows companies to grow and flex their space requirements without making large investments and long-term property commitments.

Coliving was a huge topic throughout the event and many coworking companies are extending their offer to include coliving. One company that we spoke with managed to achieve 50% occupancy throughout Covid using this model. We heard in multiple sessions and through numerous conversations that having a multi-use space for coliving and coworking is the future focus for most operators.

It was really interesting to learn about the different types of coworking companies that are now operating in this market. There are spaces available that specialise in specific sectors, such as therapists, dentists, doctors and lawyers. Each sector has its specific demands from the space itself and the smart operators are offering softer services alongside, such as the availability of accounting services to support time poor professions including dentists and doctors.

There was a palpable sense of community amongst the operators, with collaboration rather than competition being the goal. Above all, there is absolute consensus that meeting the needs of members has to come first – and, as one of the attendees admitted to us, ‘technology is one of the first challenges for any flex space…’

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Shared Access in the news…

VR headsets in stadiums provide hope for more UK private 5G

Revolutionary vision enhancement technology for fans with sight loss launched at Crystal Palace in world football first

Launched at Crystal Palace - world football first

National Gallery, London.

Distributed Antennae System (DAS) / Base Station Hotel Solution

PICTURE PERFECT CONNECTIVITY FOR A GLOBAL ICON

After a competitive tender process, we were appointed by the National Gallery (one of the greatest art galleries in the world) to design, deploy, operate and maintain a multi-operator mobile connectivity service within its new office hub at the heart of the famous Grade I listed building in London.

A FIRST FOR PREMIER LEAGUE FOOTBALL - CONNECTING 60,000+ FANS

Shared Access and Tottenham Hotspur embarked on an audacious mission in 2017 – to bring world class connectivity to Tottenham’s new stadium.

Building upon Shared Access’ previous experience deploying connectivity in large venues, the new system was designed, installed and fully funded by Shared Access. The stadium opened in April 2019 with all four UK mobile network operators live for the first game – a first in the UK.

STATE OF THE ART TOWER AT HEATHROW

In August 2022 we completed our largest build to-date. The 45m state of the art tower and secure compound at Heathrow provides coverage for the National Air Traffic Services business, all UK mobile operators (EE, O2, Three and Vodafone) and Transport for London. It also has the capacity to take future tenants, allowing for additional connectivity in the Heathrow and Feltham area.

Installation of Wi-Fi 6 at Berthon Marina, Lymington.

During the busy season, Berthon Marina has up to 250 boats in residence, all with multiple devices connecting to the marina’s Wi-Fi. This was creating a heavily congested network environment and a poor end user experience. Connection speeds were grinding to a halt, with berth holders and visitors frequently being disconnected or simply unable to connect. Card payments for fuel or food and beverage became impossible to process with all the associated customer frustrations and commercial impact.

Tunnels are historically tough locations to get a phone signal. Traditional masts provide coverage outdoors to locations that can be seen – tunnels by their nature are underground, compact and often have lots of twists and turns that all stop existing outdoor signals from penetrating inside.

The Tyne Tunnel is no different. Originally opened in 1967, the seven miles of tunnels connect the town of Jarrow with North Shields and Howden. The traffic that passes through the tunnel allows vehicles both a way in and out of Newcastle. Over 40,000 vehicles travel through the Tyne Tunnel every day – that’s over 14,000,000 vehicles a year.