Two men stand outside an office that says 'NoCo' on the side.
Frankie McSwiney and Brian Moran. Image: NoCo

NoCo expands national workspace network with new deals

25 May 2021

The workspace provider now has more than 100 spaces around the country where workers can sign up under one membership.

Workspace company NoCo has signed deals with several office space providers that will see its network of remote working spaces expand to more than 100.

Under one membership scheme, workers will be able to access various workspaces around the country.

NoCo launched its first working hub in Swords towards the end of last year. Since then, it has partnered with serviced office providers and co-working spaces, including Huckletree and Republic of Work, in around a dozen counties including Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Monaghan and Laois.

The partnerships come at a turning point for the way people work. After more than a year of remote working, companies are re-evaluating their use of office space with some workers expected to remain remote while others return to the office.

A recent Ibec survey found that 81pc of workers expect some form of a hybrid working model at their companies where there’s a mix of days in and out of the office.

Companies including Welltel and Johnson Hana will be using NoCo facilities to manage their hybrid workforces.

“While we were originally focused on the Dublin commuter belt, due to the impact of the pandemic on the future of work, we’ve pivoted the direction of business to address the wider geographical needs of the Irish workforce,” NoCo co-founder Brian Moran said.

The Government recently unveiled a plan to encourage more workers to work remotely from towns and villages across the country in a bid to revive rural Ireland. This plan is dependent on having strong facilities like office and co-working hubs.

Barbara Nolan, co-founder of M-Space in Malahide, one of the partner organisations, said the network will allow companies to have talent spread around the country.

“There are lots of owner-run hubs dotted around the country now, providing a local service to their community, so this is a significant step forward to all join forces under one NoCo network to satisfy the new demand for flexible working in Ireland,” she said.

NoCo intends to expand into the UK and Europe before the end of this year.

“We’re excited to be in a position to provide more accessible workspaces to communities across Ireland as well as employment opportunities, and believe this pivot will enable us to scale into the EU and UK at an even faster pace,” Moran said.

Jonathan Keane
By Jonathan Keane

Jonathan Keane is a freelance business and technology journalist based in Dublin, covering VC funding, start-ups, fintech and the gig economy. He was previously a reporter at business news outlet Fora.

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