BizDojo has announced a new partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) with the launch of a coworking space in Brisbane scheduled for mid-2015, followed by a series of centres throughout the State.
New Zealand-based BizDojo cofounders Nick Shewring and Jonah Merchant will bring the culture of connectivity and community into Australia to support the small business landscape, strengthening the knowledge economy and shaking up how people work in shared spaces.
“As well as introducing our way of activating space to a city ripe for a new approach, we see potential for CCIQ’s innovation centres to serve as a landing point for all businesses working from our environments and hope to expand into new markets in Queensland and abroad,” Mr Shewring said.
“Over the past five years, BizDojo has provided freelancers, entrepreneurs, startups and growth companies with an innovative, energetic way of collaborating, which we believe represents the future of work.
“More than an ideal spot for coworking, spaces under the BizDojo umbrella are recognised as prime locations for events that support and extend their community – meetups, TEDx-style talks, product launches, presentations, debates and workshops,” he said.
Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sunshine Coast CEO Russell Mason welcomed the joint venture between CCIQ and New Zealand’s pre-eminent coworking operator.
“BizDojo was an invaluable contributor to the Digital Work Hub Project which conducted research into the feasibility of establishing a network of coworking spaces (also known as smart work centres) across South East Queensland,” he said.
“It was through this relationship that we introduced the BizDojo team to CCIQ and are excited about the opportunity to expand these coworking spaces into the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, as well as regional Queensland.”
Mr Mason said the Digital Work Hub final research report, released in December 2013, demonstrated both the potential demand for coworking spaces across South-East Queensland and established the flow-on health and wellbeing benefits.
“The report states that workplaces of the future will be designed to connect and facilitate as interconnected hubs, allowing people to work from a variety of locations that suit their needs and wants.
“The purpose of a coworking space is also to attract complimentary businesses and services into the area to build local employment, boost productivity, and improve community health and wellbeing,” he said.
Image: BizDojo Auckland
