March 29, 2023
Magenta Associates, the communications specialist for the built environment, has signed The Anti-Greenwash Charter, an agreement to promote responsible marketing within the industry. Magenta has a long-standing commitment to responsible and sustainable practices, and by signing The Anti-Greenwash Charter it enhances that commitment to honest, sustained messaging. More →
March 24, 2023
Trade association FIS has launched a revised Client Guide to Office Fit-Out and Refurbishment with the aim of promoting best practice in the fit-out process and to take account of new working practices post-pandemic, the Building Safety Act and advances in sustainability. First published in 2017, this updated guide is aimed at clients, contractors and architects involved in fit-out projects in a changing world. It is available for free download. More →
March 23, 2023
The development of a major life science cluster at Canary Wharf continues to build momentum with a range of life sciences focused start-ups and scaleup businesses joining the growing community of technology businesses at its specialist co-working and office hub, Level39, according to a new statement from Canary Wharf Group. Launched by Canary Wharf Group ten years ago, Level 39 is now home to over 180 start-ups and scaleups innovating in FinTech, Cyber Security, CleanTech, Blockchain, Life Sciences and HealthTech. More →
March 23, 2023
The UK has seen a significant dip in productivity growth since the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-8, according to a new report from PwC UK. However, this new analysis also highlights sectoral differences in productivity growth, with some sectors performing better than others in recent years. The slowdown in manufacturing productivity is also shown to have played a significant role in the fall in economy-wide productivity, but there is positive sentiment amongst manufacturers, with almost 1 in 5 expecting to see gains of 10-25 percent in the coming year. According to PwC UK’s new UK Productivity Tracker, a lack of sustained investment expenditure may be behind the UK’s weak performance. More →
March 22, 2023
The Workspace Design Show returned to the Business Design Centre from 27- 28 February 2023, with exhibitors and visitors alike hailing it as a must-attend addition to the trade show calendar and a place where the workplace community can come together to be inspired and network. The overarching theme for this year’s show was Destination Workplace: Places Where People Want To Be, exploring how to create environments where employees have a desirable experience at their workplaces. More →
March 15, 2023
Today the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt presented his Spring Budget to the House of Commons. In it he announced what her referred to as his ‘four pillars’ of industrial and productivity strategy, namely: ‘Enterprise’, ‘Employment’, ‘Education’, and ‘Everywhere’. Perhaps the headline element of this announcement was the creation of twelve new investment zones across the UK as well as incentives for older workers to return to the country’s patchy workforce. This includes£63m for programmes to encourage retirees over 50 back to work, “returnerships” and ‘skills boot camps’. Another headline for the workplace sector was the offer of improved childcare arrangements, especially for the parents of very young children, who will see 30 hours of free childcare expanded to include one and two-year-olds. More →
March 15, 2023
A new survey that explores the state of sustainability within the UK office market, jointly commissioned by infinitSpace and The Instant Group, claims that the office market is falling behind on environmental policies. The poll of 250 landlords suggests that almost half (47 percent) of landlords believe the office market is lagging behind other areas of the property sector in implementing/adopting environmental policies. The same number say they can’t ‘go it alone’ with 47 percent of landlords agreeing they need help in shaping environmental policies. At the same time, 84 percent of landlords report a vacancy rate of 30 percent and above as average among their office building portfolio. More →
March 2, 2023
The leadership pipeline for women has hollowed out in the middle, according to a new study “Women in leadership: Why perception outpaces the pipeline—and what to do about it” from IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) and Chief. The study of 2,500 organisations in 12 countries and 10 industries found a small increase in the number of women at the C-suite and Board level (now 12 percent for both), and an increase to 40 percent representation of women in junior professional/specialist roles (37 percent in 2021). However, the pipeline for top leadership positions still hasn’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels – 14 percent representation of women in senior vice president roles (18 percent in 2019) and 16 percent in vice president roles (19 percent in 2019). More →
March 2, 2023
The organisers of NeoCon have announced that the submissions portal for the 2023 edition of the Best of NeoCon competition is now open. A NeoCon tradition since 1990, the competition garners hundreds of product entries each year as exhibitors vie for one of the Best of NeoCon awards. Now in its 33rd year, the program will recognise the best new products in 56 categories spanning a range of verticals including workplace, healthcare, hospitality, and education sectors. New for 2023, entries will be considered for a Business Impact Award, in addition to honours for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Best of Competition. More →
February 22, 2023
FUTURE Designs will highlight the Carbon Careful Initiative during the upcoming Workspace Design Show, demonstrating its expertise and commitment to the refurbishment and reuse of existing luminaire carcasses to increase the sustainability of commercial premises. Find out more about the FUTURE Designs Carbon Careful Initiative at stand GB45 at the Workspace Design Show 27-28th February at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London. More →
February 21, 2023
With only a few days until The Workspace Design Show returns to London’s Business Design Centre, on 27-28 February 2023, here is a taste of what to expect. The show brings together striking features, a thought-provoking programme of talks featuring a whole host of speakers, from developers to architects and their blue-chip clients, along with accomplished exhibitors showcasing the latest workplace interiors innovations. All of this incredible content aligns perfectly with the show’s theme, Destination Workplace: Places Where People Want To Be. More →
March 28, 2023
MIPIM 2023 confirms that green sells. But is commercial real estate buying?
by Anna King • Comment, Environment, Property