The independent workforce in Philadelphia certainly isn't hurting for shared workspaces. In fact, during the
TEDxPhiladelphia conference in late-March, a speaker shared a PowerPoint slide featuring the logos of roughly a dozen local co-working spots, a number of which have opened over the last two years.
Now the
University City Science Center and
Drexel University have announced the launch of the city's latest flexible workspace, known as the
Innovation Center @3401. In order to differentiate themselves, they've crafted a specific mission.
"We don't think of the Innovation Center strictly as a co-working space," explains the Science Center's Christopher Liang. "It was designed very purposely to house a mix of residents."
The Center was also designed to fill a gap in the University City incubation and startup spectrum. The Science Center's
Quorum, for instance, is a social gathering place for local entrepreneurs, while its Port incubator is home to offices and labs.
"We've been talking for some time about how we can broaden our offerings to include companies that maybe don't need wet labs," says Liang. "So, the Innovation Center is related to a desire to be more inclusive of the entrepreneurial community -- particularly the tech companies that are starting to become so important to the city."
The Center is currently accepting applications from potential residents, which will include a mix of investors, entrepreneurs, startups and stand-alone professionals.
"We're less concerned about the structural format of the residents," adds Liang. "[We're] more concerned with their ability to fit within the general theme of [being] tech and digital creatives."
The Innovation Center @3401 plans to open its doors in early June.
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Christopher Liang, University City Science Center