1. The power of professional financial management
fin POWER
From business and coworking-centers to ‘service offices’
A fast evolving market with growth expectations
SERVICED OFFICE MARKET IN BELGIUM
Key financial figures
Bobca Conference, September 2016
2. I. Introduction & situation within ‘Office market’
II. History and evolution of # flexible workspaces
III. The business centre market : actual situation
IV. Key financials of the business centres in Belgium
V. Conclusions
INTRODUCTION
3. Business & coworking-centers in Belgium :
See list in annex
What is a business or coworking-center ?
Uses this as name of his business (business center or coworking-space or both)
Business center : full-time reception available – cfr. VAT-regulation for business centers
Coworking-center : focus on ‘community’, community manager, no full time reception necessary
For profit, registered companies (excl. not-for-profit organizations)
Serviced offices = full time reception services or community-manager
Used figures :
Published financial data (Belgian National Bank)
INTRODUCTION
“Definitions and limitations”
4. INTRODUCTION
Situating within the total ‘OFFICE MARKET’
4
Office-market in Belgium
Market of ‘larger cities’ very well documented
Own, rough estimation of market in regional cities
Total ca. 21 Mio m², accommodation for appr. 1 Mio collaborators (employees + civil servants in
office environments)
Stable market with appr. 21 Mio office space
Business center market
Definition of ‘business center : ‘
Flexible contracts, Including services
Excluding ‘joint-office-buildings’ with no ‘reception’
Total : ca. 185 business centers, appr. 330,000 m² office space.
Accounts for appr. 1,6 % of total office space in Belgium, growing market-share.
Co working market
New, upcoming market
Total of appr. 71 Coworking spaces in Belgium, totaling appr. 35,000 m² office space.
Growth rate of market > 30-50 %, but still limited examples of viable business
models.
The business and coworking-market covers 1,55 % of the total office
market in Belgium (<> 2-4 % in U.K., the Netherlands)
Offices (x 1,000 m²)
Brussel 13.000
Antwerpen 1.900
Gent 1.200
Liège 500
6 'centrum' cities' : 300 - 500
(Charleroi, Namur, Hasselt, Leuven, Mechelen)
15 'regioinal cities' 100 - 250
(f.ex. Kortrijk, Roeselare, Brugge, St. Niklaas, Aalst, )
Total office spaces in 'cities' : 21.250
# Business centers (in m²)
Number : 184
Average surface : 1.792
Total surface occupied : 329.684
in % of office market : 1,55%
# Co working centers
Number : 71
Average surface : 469
Total surface occupied : 33.270
in % of office market : 0,16%
in % of business center market : 10,09%
5. INTRODUCTION
Situating within the total ‘OFFICE MARKET’
5The office market is shifting towards the ‘serviced offices’
Serviced Office market
Flexible contracts (month/year/…)
Focus on services and comunity
Office market
‘long term contracts’
No flexibility
Limited services (facilities)
Limited ‘new constructions’ < 2 % of
market
Decreasing demand due to NWOW
Coworking market
< monthly ‘memberships’
Flexible, focus on ‘community’
Limited but increasing services
Market growth > 50 %/year
Business centre market
Flexible ‘yearly’ contracts
Flexible, focus on ‘services’
Limited but increasing community
Market growth 5-10 %/year
Decreasing
market
Increasing market
6. II. HISTORY
“A market with a rich history”
• 1965: First business-centres in the U.S.
• 1980–90: 1st ‘boom’ of business centres
(bedrijvencentra)
– Apr. 120 initiatives in Belgium
– Several subvention schemes to stimulate investment
• f.ex. 1989 : Regus, Officenter and more then 50 Bedrijvencentra
were created
• 1990 – 2005 : Survival of the fittest
– Apr. 1/3th of the initial initiatives seazed to live
– Most other initiatives ‘fight to survive’
• F.ex. Closure of Intercenter, Officenter Mechelen, Chapter 11 for
Regus in 2003, …
• 2006 – actually :
– Market growth the business centre market of 5-15 %/year
– Market becomes profitable under the guidance of Regus –
the ‘Gorilla’ in this market.
• 2005 : The first ‘coworking-site’ in
San Francisco (Hat Factory by Brad Neuberg)
• 2008 : First coworking site in Brussels
(The Hub, Brussels)
• 2008 - .. : survival of the fittest
coworking-locations
– The Hub and 50 % of the other initiatives in this
market have ceased to exist.
– Wework demonstrates the strong growth possibilities
of this market
2014-16 : increase in ‘hybrid’ formula’s evolving to one ‘SERVICED OFFICES market’
7. II. HISTORY
“A market with a rich history”
• First boom of business centre until 1990-
95
• Then, 95-2005 : more failures then start-
ups in our market until …
• 2005 : start of the ‘New Way of Working’
• From 2005 on, a growth of 5-10 % of the
number of ‘business centres'
• From 2008 : an exponential growth of the
number of coworking centres
• Actually, the market has grown to more
then 250 flexible workspace offers in
Belgium.
8. Total appr. 185 “business centers” and 68 ‘CW-centers’
identified in Belgium :
28 ‘BC’s’, Bedrijvencentra
17 BC + 8 CW centers for Regus
6 ‘groups’ with 3-8 centers
13 operators with 2 centers
appr. 140 operators with only 1 location, appr. 50 %
of the market
In 2011 : ca. 135 BC, which means an annual growth of
appr. 10 %/year
Failure rate limited (< 3 % of market)
C.W. market is clearly growing faster
Growth from 50 tot 68 locations in 2015 (+40 %)
Differentiation between ‘business centers’ becomes
unclear (only VAT-regulation is relatively clearcut)
In Belgium, we observe appr. 250 business and coworking
centers of which more than 50 % are stand-alone centers.
III. BUSINESS CENTERS IN BELGIUM
3.1. Number of Business Centers
9. Appr. 60 % of Belgium’s business
centers are located in Brussels,
Antwerp en Gent
31 % located in Brussels
13 % located in Antwerp
8 % located in Gent
Is comparable with the importance of
the relative office market.
Only 10 cities have more then 4
BC/CW-initiatives, which seems a
minimum to have a profitable market.
> 50 % of all business centers in Belgium are located in the
three main cities (Brussels, Antwerp and Gent)
III. BUSINESS CENTERS IN BELGIUM
3.2 Business centers by location
Cities Aantal
Brussel 81
Antwerpen 31
Gent 21
Liège 10
Leuven 8
Hasselt 8
Louvain La Neuve 7
Kortrijk 7
Mechelen 5
Charleroi 4
Namen 3
Sint-Niklaas 3
Nivelles 3
Oostende 3
Ieper 3
Brugge 3
Total 257
32%
12%
8%4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
1%
1% 1%
1%
1%
1%
1%1%
1%1%1%0%
Number of BC/CW-centers pro city
Brussel
Antwerpen
Gent
Liège
Leuven
Hasselt
Louvain La Neuve
Kortrijk
Mechelen
Charleroi
Namen
Sint-Niklaas
Nivelles
Oostende
Ieper
Brugge
Turnhout
Aalst
Genk
Locatie
Aantal
Aktief in 2016
10. A growing number (45 %) of the
coworking and business centers are
located in the center of the cities
This was only 34 % in 2010 !
But still more centers are located on
the ringways or in industrial area’s
Recently, locations within stations are
opened by Regus
The percentage of business and coworking centers located in city-
centers is growing in Belgium.
III. BUSINESS CENTERS IN BELGIUM
3.3. Ownership – types of the Belgian business center market
11. IV. FINANCIAL DATA OF BUSINESS CENTER MARKET
4.1. Turnover evolution
• Turnover
– Total market turnover nearly 100 Mio €
– 1/3th is done by international players
• Own only 17 % of the business centers
– The private owners serve nearly 50 % of the
market
• Growth rhythm
– Exponential market-creation 1980-1995 :
more then 100 BC created
– From 1995 – 2005 : no substantial growth of
the market (< 2 %/yr)
– 2006-2010 : growth with 5-10 % per year, not
abnormal for this market compared with
international studies
– 2011 – 2014 : growth 2-5 %, relatively low
due to price-pressure.
– 2015 : turnover growth of 6,5 % - increasing,
but still lower then in surrounding markets.
The Belgian business center market is lagging behind on the
international growth rates of the market of appr. 10 %/year
12. IV. FINANCIAL DATA OF BUSINESS CENTER MARKET
4.2 Operational profit (EBIT) of business centers
• Although > 25% of the business
centers make losses, the ‘market’ has
a positive profitability, varying
between 0 and 5 %.
• The private and international centers
have in 2015 an acceptable profit of
appr. 4 % operating profit on turnover.
– Acceptable since 5-10 % seems to be the
target
– But, clearly decreasing vs. the 5-10 % levels
in the ‘golden’ years 2006-2010
• A lot of semi-public initiatives do make
substantial losses, although appr. 50 %
are profitable
The price pressures sinces 2010 has decreased the profit
margins of our market, which seems to recover from 2015 on.
13. IV. FINANCIAL DATA OF BUSINESS CENTER MARKET
4.3 Different financial models
• Asset – efficiency of ‘International market’ is very high – no investment in ‘own’ buildings
– Private and public sector operators mostly have invested in the building
• Financial leverage of public sector very limited (cash > loan volume)
The ‘international’ operators focus optimizing their financial
leverage, where the public sector invests 4 € for 1 € turnover.
Turn-
over
Fixed
Assets
Assets/
Turnover
Own
Funds
Own
Funds/
Assets
Own
funds/
Turnover
International 26.295 5.480 0,2 -8.223 -1,5 -0,3
Private 45.944 132.465 2,9 63.353 0,5 1,4
Semi-public 25.241 112.922 4,5 107.489 1,0 4,3
14. IV. FINANCIAL DATA OF BUSINESS CENTER MARKET
4.4. Advantages of scale ?
• There are clearly a lot of advantages of scale in the
business center market
– Commercially (website, referrals, …)
– Purchasing power, also on management-level
– Strategically and
– After a strong increase of their turnover from 2005-2009,
we see a stabilization of turnover the last years.
• But, the medium turnover of a business center is
declining ….
– And, we have not included the coworking-centers in this
comparison …
• We have put the ‘profitability’ of a center compared with the ‘size’ of each
center.
– Profitability = profit margin on turnover
– Size = turnover by center
• The ‘regression-line’ clearly demonstrates
– The substantial losses that a business center makes in his 1-2 starting years
(between 100 and 500 k€)
– A ‘break-even’ level of a ‘median’ center around 500 k€ turnover
– Above 600-700 k€ turnover, most of the business centers are profitable.
15. Conclusions
• The business and coworking market are ‘integrating’ more and more towards a service-
office market
– And, the market-share of this market has increased from 1,4 to 1,6 % of the total office market in Belgium.
– Still lagging behind the levels in the U.K. and the Netherlands (2-4 %)
• The turnover of our market has increased with 6 % in 2015, in the ‘normal’ 5-10 %
growth rate and reaches nearly 100 Mio turnover.
• The profitability of the market is regaining normal levels
– Only the public sector remains a segment of the market where substantial losses occur.
17. rie Locatie Naam Locatie Naam Locatie Naam
BC Geel 4Wings BC Oostende Bedrijvencentrum Regio Oostende BC Waver Business Center Wavre Nord
BC Aalst Aalst City Center BC Waregem Bedrijvencentrum Regio Waregem BC Kortrijk Business Centrum Kortrijk Pottelberg
BC Aalter Aalters Bedrijvencentrum BC Roeselare Bedrijvencentrum Roeselare BC Willebroek Business centrum Rivium
BC Lier Accentis business center BC St Truiden Bedrijvencentrum Sint Truiden CW Fosses La Ville Business One
BC Egezée Accortise Pactech Business Center BC Tienen Bedrijvencentrum Tienen BC Liège CAP Business Center
CW Antwerpen Acospace BC Tongeren Bedrijvencentrum Tongeren CW Nivelles Capinnove
BC Brussel Acte BC Veurne Bedrijvencentrum Veurne BC Louvain La NeuveCEI Louvain
BC Gent Adequat BC Brussel Bedrijvencentrum Vilvoorde BC Brussel Centre d'Entreprises de Saint-Gilles
CW Gent Aerey Coworking BC Oudenaarde Bedrijvencentrum Vlaamse Ardennen BC Liège Centres d'Affaires Afinis
BC Brussel Agence 86 'creative business center' BC Sint-Niklaas Bedrijvencentrum Waasland BC Louvain La NeuveCercle Du Lac
BC Antwerpen ALMAntwerpen BC Brussel Bedrijvencentrum Zaventem BC Brussel Chambre d'affaire CFCI
BC Brussel Alnair Business Center BC Brussel Bedrijvencentrum Zennevalei CW Kontich Clubhouse Coworking
BC Antwerpen Antwerp Berchem Central Station BC Brussel Belgium Business center BC Genk C-Mine Crib
BC Antwerpen Antwerp Business House BC Antwerpen Benelux Business Center CW Antwerpen Co Buro
CW Antwerpen Antwerp Central Station CW Brussel Beta Group Coworking CW Mons Co nnexion -coworking
BC Antwerpen Antwerp City Center BC Leuven Bio Incubator Leuven CW Brussel Co.Station Brussels
BC Sint-Niklaas Astrid Business Center Sint-Niklaas BC Brussel Bisschofsheim business center CW Hasselt Corda Incubator
BC Brussel Ateac Business Center BC Brussel Bizzcenter CW Brussel Coworking Business Center Brussels
BC Brussel Ateliersdes Tanneurs BC Kortrijk Bizz-Init CW Hasselt Coworking Hasselt
BC Louvain La Neuve Axisparc business center BC Brussel BLSI CW Namen Coworking Namur
CW Brussel Bar Buro BC Antwerpen BNO 'The factory' CW Tielt Creatielt
CW Brussel Bar D'Office Brussel (Voka) BC Brussel BPS Ad Hoc CW Liège Cristal Hub Coworking
CW Leuven Bar D'Office Leuven CW Brugge Brugge Station BC Leuven de Hoorn
CW Oostende Bar D'Office Oostende CW Brussel Brussel Central Station CW Brugge De Huyskamer
BC Nivelles BCS Group CW Brussel Brussel Luxemburg Station BC Antwerpen De Wolkammerij
BC Aalst Bedrijvencentrum Aalst BC Brussel Brussels Airport Corporate Village BC Brussel Diamant Conference & Business Center Brussel
BC Beringen Bedrijvencentrum Beringen BC Brussel Brussels City Center BC Liège Diamant Conference & Business Center Luik
BC Gent Bedrijvencentrum De Punt BC Brussel Brussels Groot Bijgaarden BC Brussel Diegem Grensstraat
BC Antwerpen Bedrijvencentrum De Winkelhaak BC Brussel Brussels IT Tower CW Antwerpen Dots Coworking
BC Dendermonde Bedrijvencentrum Dendermonde BC Brussel Brussels Village BC Gent Easy Office Center
BC Genk Bedrijvencentrum Genk BC Brussel Brussles EU Schuman BC Brussel EEBIC Business Center
BC Geraardsbergen Bedrijvencentrum Geraardsbergen CW Brussel Brussles South Station BC Louvain La NeuveEinstein Business Center
BC Hasselt Bedrijvencentrum Hasselt CW Sint-Truiden Bur O Bar CW Brussel Enclume&Co
BC Ieper Bedrijvencentrum Ieper BC La Louvi!re Buro Business du Centre CW Tournai ESCO Expace Coworking
BC Zelzate Bedrijvencentrum Kanaalzone BC Namen Burogest Bouge BC Brussel Espace Moselle
BC Leuven Bedrijvencentrum Leuven BC Namen Burogest Office Park BC Brussel EU Business Centre
BC Maasmechelen Bedrijvencentrum Maasmechelen CW Antwerpen Burooz BC Liège Euregio Business Center Liège
BC Malle bedrijvencentrum Malle BC Brussel Burotel CW Brussel Factory Forty
BC Maldegem Bedrijvencentrum Meetjesland BC Brussel Burotel 367 BC Dienze Filad Ondernemingscentrum
BC Overpelt Bedrijvencentrum Overpelt BC Brussel Burotel Congres CW Brussel Firma
BC Brugge Bedrijvencentrum Regio Brugge BC Antwerpen Business Center Amerikalei BC Brussel Flagey Digital
BC Kortrijk Bedrijvencentrum Regio Kortrijk BC Charleroi Business Center Charleroi CW Gent Floating Desk Coworking
BC Mechelen Bedrijvencentrum Regio Mechelen BC Nivelles Business center services BC Antwerpen Fountain business park
18. Locatie Naam Locatie Naam Locatie Naam
BC Herentals Frame 21 CW Gent Loft169 BC Brussel Seed Factory
BC Tournai Futur Orcq BC Louvain La Neuve Louvain-La-Neuve BC Brussel Servcorp Bastion Tower
BC Mouscron Futur X BC Gent Maaltecenter BC Brussel Servcorp Schuman
BC Oostende Greenbridge incubatiecentrum en wetenschapsparkBC Brussel MC Square BC Brussel Silver Square
BC Houthalen Greenville Cleantech Campus BC Mechelen MC Square Mechelen BC Brussel Silver Square
BC Gent Growth Fase BC Antwerpen Multiburo Antwerpen Centraal Station BC Brussel Silver Square
BC Antwerpen HAVN -Buzzispace BC Brussel Multiburo Brussels Airport BC Brussel Sint Annacenter
BC Sint-Niklaas Heptagon business center BC Brussel Multiburo Louise CW Antwerpen Social Media Club Kube8
CW Antwerpen Het Bolwerk / Bar d'Office (Fort 5) BC Brussel Multiburo Quartier Européen CW Turnhout SPK -Bar D'office
CW Aalst Hopmarkt 50 BC Diest Office 21 BC Turnhout Square Point Business Center
BC Hasselt Huis Vanstraelen BC Brussel Office services Brussels CW Sint Niklaas St Niklaas Station
BC Gent Huize Minne BC Leuven Officener Leuven CW Brussel Studio 28
BC Leuven I & I Leuven BC Hasselt Officenter CW Antwerpen Studio Start
BC Gent IBBT-Incubator BC Antwerpen Officenter Antwerpen/A12 CW Antwerpen Swenst
CW Gent Icubes BC Turnhout Officenter Turnhout CW Charleroi Switch Coworking Charleroi
BC Gent I-Cubes CW Mechelen Ondernemershuis/Bar d'Office BC Mechelen T-Offices
CW Melle Idee Kids CW Ieper Ondernemingscentrum Ieper/ Bar D'Office BC Antwerpen Talentarena
BC Gent Idola Business Center CW Gent Oneoffice CW Antwerpen Telenet Idealabs -The Squad
BC Ieper Idola Business Center BC Bierges Optimalis Business Center CW La Louvi!re the cowork Factory
CW Gent Ihub BC Brussel Oriona Group Cinquantenaire BC Gent The Crescent Ghent
BC Estaimpuis Impact Centre Européen d'affaires et de services BC Brussel Oriona Group Louiza BC Brussel The Crescent Riverside
BC Leuven In volle Vaart BC Brussel Oriona Group Schumann CW Brussel The Flex
BC Gent Incubatie en Innovatiecentrum Ugent BC Brussel Paepsem Business Center BC Brussel The Hub Brussel
CW Antwerpen Indian Caps BC Gent Parkoffice CW Brussel the Library
BC Brussel Innovatie en incubatiecentrum Brussel BC Kortrijk Parkoffice CW Brussel The Mug
BC Wommelgem Interoffices Antwerp East BC Brussel Plug &Work CW Aarschot The Office (coworking Aarschot)
BC Zaventem Interoffices Brussels Airport BC Charleroi Quadrature Business center CW Kortrijk The Studio's
CW Antwerpen K85 BC Brussel Quartier Latin CW Ronse TIO3 Textiles Open Innovation Centre
BC Hasselt Kaai 16 BC Eupen Quartum Business Center CW Brussel Transforma
CW Antwerpen KBC Startig Antwerpen CW Mechelen RE: Flex Mechelen BC Brussel Tribes Brussel
CW Antwerpen KBC Startig Gent CW Antwerpen RE:flex Berchem BC Kortrijk Twelve
CW Hasselt KBC Startig Hasselt BC Brussel Regus Airport Diegem BC Antwerpen UBIS
CW Brussel KBC Startit Brussel BC Brussel Regus Airport Meeting Center BC Antwerpen Universitair bedrijvencentrum
CW Kortrijk KBC Startit Kortrijk BC Braine lalleud Regus Braine Lalleud BC Brussel VIP Offices Headquarter
BC Geel Kempens Bedrijvencentrum BC Brussel Regus Brussels South Station BC Tielt Vlaemynck Business Center
CW Liège La Forge BC Brussel Regus Brussels West Basilix BC Hasselt Wetenschapspark Limburg
CW Louvain La Neuve Lauvain Coworking Space BC Brussel Regus Central Stattion BC Louvain La NeuveWetlands Business Center
CW Tubize Le Centre d'Entreprises Chapagne Landas BC Brussel Regus Commision CW Gent Wolfstraat 9
CW Leuven Leuven Station BC Brussel Regus EU Parliament BC Brussel Workspaces
CW Antwerpen Level 9 BC Gent Regus Gent Zuiderpoort BC Antwerpen WTC business center
BC Liège Liège business center BC Brussel Regus Midi CW Charleroi Wup Coworking
CW Liège Liège Guillemains BC Brussel Regus Waterloo Office Park CW Hasselt Zelfies
BC Liège Liège Spatiopôle CW Liège Rogier Espace Coworking BC Zellik Zellik.biz
CW Gent Like Birds BC Brussel Science14 Atrium