Coworking offers in Basel: Attractive for young and established companies
Alongside Zurich and Geneva, Basel is one of Switzerland’s most important economic hotspots. Numerous global companies, particularly from the chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, are based here. The Rhine port serves as an important hub for goods from and to the whole world. Basel is also known as a trade fair city with global appeal. The greater Basel area also includes parts of Germany and France just across the border.
It is therefore not surprising that Basel is the top choice for many established companies and newly founded start-ups. However, it is a challenge to find modern office space in preferred locations that also offer flexible rental options. Coworking spaces are therefore an attractive option that is also popular with established companies.
What exactly is coworking?
Coworking, also known as co-working, stands for the concept of collaborative working. In this model, different companies use a shared office environment. In such a coworking space, it is possible to rent workstations for individuals, private office space for teams or exclusive office sections as required. These are fully furnished and offer comprehensive facilities, including telephone booths, meeting rooms, WiFi and printers.
The concept of coworking spaces has changed significantly over time. In the past, people often used converted factory halls or vacant open-plan offices, which primarily offered flexibility and access to a community, but only a rudimentary infrastructure.
Today, modern coworking spaces offer both shared open spaces and private team offices that provide flexibility and privacy alike. Meeting and workshop rooms as well as event locations are also on offer. For added convenience, some coworking spaces also provide fitness rooms, gaming lounges with games consoles and in-house restaurants. Coworking spaces have thus evolved from a simple collaborative working environment to serviced offices, a term that is frequently used for coworking spaces, particularly in the USA.
Coworking offers for Basel as a business location
A dynamic and innovative start-up community is thriving in Basel, particularly in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and medical technology. Here, young, aspiring companies with an often still small workforce can find a wide range of flexible workplace solutions in various coworking spaces, which are specifically promoted and supported.
However, flexible office concepts without long-term contractual obligations also attract established companies. These office solutions make it possible to open additional locations at short notice and with little effort, which can be quickly expanded or, if necessary, shut down again just as quickly. Such modern flex offices with a complete infrastructure are an appealing alternative to traditional office rental, especially when it comes to quickly setting up a new location. In the battle for the best professionals on the labor market, office locations in preferred locations are increasingly becoming a key element of employer branding.
Attractive locations with flexible workplaces in the city of Basel
The geographical location of a company plays a decisive role for customers and employees alike. Suitable locations can be found in Basel both south and north of the Rhine.
Basel’s lively city center, which stretches from the SBB train station to the Rhine, attracts not only locals and visitors, but also business people. However, the cost of office space in this area is relatively high and usually not affordable for start-ups.
Behind the SBB railway station is the Gundeldinger quarter, where Coop’s headquarters are located. The proximity to the Swiss railway network is a major advantage, as cities such as Zurich, Bern, Biel and Lucerne can be reached within an hour via direct connections.
The St. Johann neighborhood, once a working-class district, is now particularly interesting for companies seeking to be located close to the Novartis Campus, such as start-ups in the pharmaceutical sector. The proximity to Basel-Mulhouse Airport (EuroAirport) makes this district in the north-west attractive as well. However, the pharmaceutical industry is also prominently represented in the Wettstein district in the east of Basel, where the well-known Roche Towers are located.
The Rosental Mitte development area, located between Messeplatz and Badischer Bahnhof, is exciting for companies of all sizes. This former industrial area is currently being transformed into a new district that will provide up to 8,500 jobs in the near future. Westhive, a leading provider of flexible workspaces in Switzerland, has also set up a state-of-the-art coworking space here, which is proving very popular.
Frequently asked questions about coworking
What is the difference between a coworking space and a shared office?
A shared office is created when a main tenant is unable to fully utilize its office space itself and therefore sublets individual workstations to self-employed persons or micro-enterprises. This subletting serves the main tenant solely to reduce his rental costs, so it is neither his business model nor his main activity. Whether meeting rooms, an IT infrastructure or a kitchen are also available varies greatly.
In a way, a coworking space is the professional version of a shared office. Here, the rental of workspaces and meeting rooms is not born out of necessity, but is the basis of a business model. Customers of a coworking space can therefore expect more flexible rental conditions (including daily rental), higher-quality meeting rooms, various additional services and more efficient processes. A good coworking space also promotes networking and the exchange of knowledge within its community.
And what does the term «flexible office» mean?
A flexible office, also known as a team office or private office, is a separate office unit within a coworking space that can be rented by a company. While the basic equipment of these offices corresponds to that of the rest of the coworking area, individual equipment features such as height-adjustable desks can be added.
A key advantage of the flexible office is its sound insulation and the option to lock it up. The tenants of such an office have the same infrastructure at their disposal as other coworking space users. They also have the option of booking their own meeting rooms for exclusive use.