Citibase looks for step-change

Business centre operator Citibase has unveiled a three-year plan to enlarge its Scottish footprint to 15 hubs as demand for more flexible office space spirals.

The firm, founded in 1993 and focused on key UK town and city centre locations, has four centres north of the Border, having just launched sites in Aberdeen and near Bellshill to add to the two up and running in Edinburgh.

Chief executive Steve Jude said there was scope to grow that total to 15 over the next few years with the likes of Dundee, Inverness and Perth in the firm’s sights.

“We are looking at a number of locations,” he told The Scotsman. “Our markets are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES).

“There is some 10 million square feet of empty space in Scotland and we are looking for about 3 per cent of that.”

He said enquiries to the firm, which allows property owners to tap into under-utilised office space, were up 23 per cent this year in Scotland, while deals are up by almost a third.

Jude added: “The world of work has changed. Globalisation and technology over the last 20 years has blown everything up. People do not want to be tied into the traditional long-term lease.”

The Aberdeen business centre is situated on Queens Road in the city’s west end, in a historic 1870s detached villa. Meanwhile, the “Citibase Strathclyde Business Park” hub is set amid 155 acres of parkland and has been refurbished with parking for cars and bikes and convenient transport links.

Jude said: “The two new additions are going to provide an extra boost for entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMES looking for a home to grow their business.”