A solution for empty buildings now one of the biggest coworking players in The Netherlands (2018)

This 2018 conference deck presented B. Amsterdam’s development from a response to empty buildings into a large startup and business ecosystem in the Netherlands. It described the organisation’s mission as providing a platform where members and partners could innovate, improve and grow, supported by three pillars: fast-growing companies, future talent and corporate innovation. The deck outlined several connected concepts within the B. community. These included business services ranging from office space to legal advice, education and skills training, corporate innovation programmes, and an ecosystem of events and hospitality intended to bring different groups together. It stated that the community comprised 350 companies spanning startups, scale-ups, corporations and freelancers. The presentation also explained that new concepts were developed with specialist partners in response to needs identified among companies occupying the buildings. One planned example was the B. Smart City Hub, which was intended to convene companies working on waste, water, energy, last-mile logistics, food, green space, mobility and storage. The deck placed this model within broader changes in the workforce and office market, citing a 2018 forecast that coworking spaces would grow by up to 24% over the following five years.

Key findings

• The deck stated that B. Amsterdam had grown from a solution for empty buildings into what it described as Europe’s largest startup ecosystem within four years.
• The B. community comprised 350 companies, including startups, scale-ups, corporations and freelancers.
• B. Building Business organised its model around fast-growing companies, future talent and corporate innovation.
• The deck cited a 2018 GCUC forecast that coworking spaces would grow by up to 24% over the following five years.

Presented by Marjan Blumberg, B. Building Business, at Coworking Europe 2018