Occupier influence on workplace design and the impact of big data on our cities took centre stage on day two of the CoreNet Global EMEA Summit, as record numbers of attendees arrived for the world's leading corporate real estate event. Building on the success of previous years, the Summit programme looked to the future, examining how the latest innovations in digital technology can influence building design and user experience, and the importance of retaining a human element in an increasingly data-driven world.
An enlightening session hosted by Dr Andrew Hudson-Smith of UCL's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis provided insight into the immense volumes of big data already being collated across London and the possibilities that this affords for the city. Despite a large number of practical examples where data is already being used to great effect, Dr. Hudson-Smith suggested that the world is yet to produce a fully functioning 'smart city', although several currently use the term for marketing purposes.
Challenging common assumptions regarding the best environments for effective working, creativity and productivity, Craig Knight, Ph.D. presented research on the psychological application of design to demonstrate that proscribed, distraction-free ‘lean space’ in the workplace is often an ineffective solution compared to more consulted and collaborative approaches. Knight’s comparative research data demonstrated that, where staff have input into the arrangement of their workspace, they often work faster, more productively, with less distractions and making significantly less mistakes. Knight also cautioned that organisations cannot successfully impose a corporate identity top down, and that such an approach risks creating a “them and us” situation.
Focusing firmly on the world of work 25 years ahead of time, Lewis Beck of CBRE painted a vividly and possible picture of life in 2040, and cautioned that FM and HR departments will need to adapt radically to keep pace of the rapid change ahead. The future will see rapid urbanisation as the world’s population grows, with significant disruption experienced by businesses in the 2020s and 2030s, with only the most agile and innovative organisations surviving from the early 21st century.
Technology will see huge advances, with people using it to have full control of their time management and personal data, while professional careers will shift from long term contracts to “thousands of short term assignments” with professionals having more control and personal choice over their careers than ever, in a four day average working week. Significantly for real estate, work will be done primarily from smart homes or on the move, with telepresence the working norm, and occasional visits to the ‘trophy’ workplace seen as a reward. Real estate will be increasingly on a ‘pay as you go’ principle, with a huge diversity in space formats available.
The two days of the Summit concluded on Friday with Trendspotter and Futurologist Magnus Lindkvist urging delegates that future change rests in the hands of human beings and not technology, and that instead of pursuing horizontal change (focusing on the competition; competing with similar products in different places) companies should pursue vertical change, when something magical becomes reality (such as happened with the internet and electricity). He challenged attendees to look for secrets, experiment and be patient.
Finally, CoreNet Global announced that the 2016 EMEA Summit will return to Amsterdam between 14-16 September, taking the theme The Bigger Picture: Geopolitics, Economics and the Environment.
Source: CoreNet Global
