Co-working experts speak out on what’s next for shared workspaces

Shared test kitchens where rival chefs can come together to tweak their recipes and collaborate to create new cooking methods; scientific labs where the brightest research minds in chemistry and biology can uncover new breakthroughs side-by-side; and international Fortune 500 companies even breaking down the office walls and forging into the shared space realm.

All of this may sound out of reach, but its closer then you think.

The co-working model born out of shared office space is now broadening its reach into new industries and new types of settings, and its happening right here in Miami.

Local operator RightSpace2Meet is on the verge of opening a new location in Coral Gables that will offer test kitchen space for chefs and restaurateurs; the Miami Innovation Center in the city’s Health District is now home to shared office and wet lab spaces; and major companies like IBM are launching ‘desk on demand‘ pilot programs intended to reduce operating costs and boost employee productivity.

All of these concepts and more were discussed during last night’s co-working panel at the University of Miami Life Science and Technology Park. Miami Herald business reporter and Starting Gate blog master Nancy Dahlberg moderated a lively discussion between Carolina Rendeiro of the Miami Innovation Center; Todd Oretsky of Pipeline Brickell; and Wifredo Fernandez, co-founder of The LAB Miami.

It was an eye-opening evening to be sure. It’s difficult to think of a sector of real estate — office space, in this case — that has experienced a more dramatic shift in user preferences during modern times. Great to see Miami getting ahead of the curve.