Tech companies recognise that their location and surroundings affect their innovation, collaboration, and ability to grow. However, while tech hubs receive considerable attention, mixed-use developments are powerful incubators for technology companies at all stages of their development.
These purpose-built environments offer distinct advantages that align particularly well with the needs of tech enterprises. Here, we explore these advantages and show how they have enabled a young tech firm to flourish at Winnersh Triangle, a hub for science and technology.
Networking: the hidden currency of tech ecosystems
One of the most valuable yet understated benefits of tech-forward professional campuses is their capacity to nurture meaningful professional connections.
For technology companies, where innovation is often sparked at the intersection of different perspectives and disciplines, this collaborative atmosphere provides competitive advantages that isolated locations simply cannot match.
Cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency
The financial benefits of commercial hub locations can also offer compelling advantages for technology companies.
In addition to shared operational benefits, these environments can generate operational efficiencies through the sharing of resources and economies of scale. Security services, reception facilities, and maintenance can be accessed on a shared-cost basis, for example.
For growing tech enterprises, this cost structure can be particularly advantageous. The ability to project a professional image through impressive surroundings without long-term property commitments or overheads enables young companies to allocate more resources toward product development and talent acquisition, critical priorities during growth phases.
For example, in 2023, Tepeo expanded from 9,000 sq ft (as of 2021) to an additional 8,000 sq ft.
Talent attraction and retention dynamics
For technology professionals specifically, the clustering of companies creates an environment where career development opportunities abound without necessarily requiring relocation. This ecosystem effect makes mixed-use development locations particularly attractive for ambitious talent looking to build careers in tech-focused environments.
Winnersh Triangle, for example, has established key educational pipelines with the University of Reading, the University of Portsmouth, and the Open University. Indeed, 51% of professionals surveyed on the Winnersh Triangle campus have a STEM educational background.
This talent advantage is precisely what attracts companies like the clean tech company Tepeo to establish their operations in a science and technology hub. Johan du Plessis, director of the young Winnersh Triangle-based business, praised Wokingham and Reading’s strong talent pool as a reason his company was attracted to Winnersh Triangle.
He felt it was one of the few to offer offices and manufacturing facilities. “Our move to Winnersh is the first step towards scaling up, and we’re excited for the future,” he said.
Johan du Plessis, whose rapidly growing company employs more than 40 people, explains, “Location is key for us to attract and retain talent. And we’re growing fast. It’s not easy as a young company looking for headquarters. You don’t have a strong covenant, whilst you’re putting everything into investing for the future.”
Infrastructure and technological readiness
Perhaps most fundamental to the success of technology companies is the digital infrastructure that underpins their operations. This digital foundation is complemented by physical spaces designed with technological considerations at their core.
From appropriate power distribution to adaptable workspaces that accommodate changing hardware requirements, these environments anticipate the unique needs of technology-intensive operations. Johan explains that as a small company, Tepeo also benefits from “access to great amenities” at Winnersh Triangle, which they couldn’t afford to offer staff on their own.
“You will regularly see us joining in with the free boot camp at the onsite gym, Move HQ, and playing five-a-side football on the Astro-turf pitch behind the wellness and fitness cabin, or going for a run around the meadows.”
The importance of these kinds of out-of-the-office social interactions to team bonding can’t be overstated.
Modern office space in the perfect working environment
Winnersh Triangle exemplifies the benefits covered in this blog, providing a space where technology and science businesses thrive.
More than a workspace; find your space in Winnersh Triangle, a 1.5 million sq ft mixed-use professional campus located in Reading, with a wide range of offerings, including major headquarters buildings, grade-A offices and start-up office suites. Get in touch with us today to discover how your technology company could benefit from joining our thriving business community.
