Nestled in the Silicon Sentier district of Paris, the Villa Bonne Nouvelle (“House of Good News”), or VBN, initially appears to be another new coworking space. But what sets it apart is that only half of its 60 occupants are freelancers. The remainder work for Orange (née French Telecom), which launched VBN in 2014 to teach its programmers and engineers how to work with and learn from people outside of the company.
Why Companies Are Creating Their Own Coworking Spaces
The real revolution in coworking may have less to do with freelancers or startups than with employees of large companies working beyond the boundaries of their organizations. Dozens of companies, from telcos to tech giants to automakers to insurance companies, have jumped on the trend of shared workspaces, creating offices where their employees can work alongside people from outside the company. Interviews at more than a dozen corporate coworking spaces in the U.S., South America, and Europe show that these companies and their employees are searching for the same qualities freelancers and entrepreneurs report from their experiences in shared workspaces: learning skills faster, making more connections, and feeling inspired and in control. But what are the goals of these corporate coworking spaces? The purposes can vary widely, but they are typically meant to facilitate transformation, innovation, and future-proofing.