The office just around the corner: New website bundles coworking offers in Münsterland

Those who live in the district of Coesfeld, for example, commute to work more frequently and farther than average. This is shown by a non-representative online survey conducted by the district of Coesfeld with the support of Prognos AG in autumn 2022. According to the survey, more than half of the respondents could imagine working in a coworking space once a week, but only just under a third are aware of the wide range of coworking spaces in the region. For this reason, Münsterland e.V. and the district of Coesfeld developed the new website www.muensterland-coworking.com, where interested employees and companies can find detailed information about the new form of working in coworking and the range of coworking spaces available throughout Münsterland.

The name already suggests it: Coworking spaces are places where people work together. Unlike in conventional offices, desks and equipment can be booked flexibly and the office community consists of employees from different companies, self-employed and freelancers. While this concept has so far been more common in German metropolises, it is now spreading to rural areas such as Münsterland - after all, it is already possible to work from around 40 coworking spaces here.

The idea for the new website came about as part of the model project "Smarte.Land.Regionen", in which the district of Coesfeld is participating. In this project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, rural districts throughout Germany are supported in the implementation of their digitalisation projects. "Progressive digitalisation also offers opportunities for working life - many working people now appreciate the flexibility they gain from home offices, for example. But not everyone has the opportunity to accommodate a fully equipped office within their own four walls. A coworking space close to home, for example, can be a suitable solution. But of course, citizens first have to be informed about this," explains District Administrator Dr Christian Schulze Pellengahr.

Klaus Ehling, board member of Münsterland e.V., emphasises: "We believe that new forms of work will also become increasingly important in our region. Mobile forms of working have experienced a strong acceleration, not least due to the Corona pandemic, because commuting costs time, nerves and pollutes the environment. With the coworking offers we have in Münsterland, we are already a step ahead of other regions. That's why, when the project period with the district of Coesfeld comes to an end, we will continue the website and update it continuously."

At www.muensterland-coworking.com, interested parties can use an interactive map to find the coworking space closest to them, get a first impression of the premises and quickly and easily access the booking function of the respective provider. The choice is wide: whether a modernised barn surrounded by fields and sheep or a former bicycle repair shop in the city centre - there is a workspace for every taste.

In addition to the overview of coworking spaces, the website offers a lot of other information for the different target groups: Employees can find out why coworking can be an exciting alternative to home office, employers are shown how they can contribute to staff satisfaction through coworking offers and at the same time save costs by having less office space to maintain. Founders can also get an impression of how starting their own business can be more cost-effective and flexible by using a coworking space than by renting their own office space.

www.muensterland-coworking.com