Analysis: remote working hubs have been touted as a lifeline to rural Ireland, but their full potential isn't being reached
Remote working hubs have been touted as a lifeline to rural communities. By providing the means to ditch the commute, remote hubs can help reinvent what it means to live and work in rural Ireland by renovating rural housing and bringing people back into the community to support local businesses, clubs and schools. Unfortunately, our research finds that many small rural hubs are not being used to their full potential.
Traditionally remote working hubs or co-working spaces are built on a sharing philosophy consisting of collaborative workspace and in Ireland we have many successful examples of this approach e.g. digital hubs like PorterShed in Galway and Ludgate in West Cork. Thanks to government initiatives such as the Connected Hubs network there are currently over 300 remote working hubs in Ireland; but the fear exists that without a targeted approach to managing these spaces they will end up gathering dust or operate as serviced offices with a focus on individual value, when they could be so much more.
The first steps to rural digital transformation are access to a public digital infrastructure and shared work space. But equally important is the skilled coordination with local experts and technical support. Remote working hubs can be a conductor for this rural digital transformation, as they are at the intersection between remote employees, entrepreneurs and local rural communities.
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Digital inclusion is often an important element of rural remote working hubs, for some hubs their key focus is on inclusion. For example the accessible for all Crann Impact Hub and the community led ACT Athlone who highlight how hubs can play an important role in the integration of people with disabilities and marginalised groups into the workforce.
Intriguingly, as more jobs become available where individuals can work from anywhere, people are recognising the importance of place, and work-life balance becomes a key factor in employee retention. In extremely rural locations such as gteic Béal an Mhurithead, the hub is a 'game changer' providing a professional space and high quality broadband, enabling people to move home. An important benefit of this are the young, highly qualified people who join the local economy and support innovation.
There are many examples of successful rural co-working spaces in Ireland, based on different kinds of management models and in response to local needs. In Ennistymon, one of the Digi Clare group of remote working hubs is run by the local council in collaboration with local communities. They don’t have a manager on site, they are managed remotely by the council with an onsite caretaker and responsive email support, influenced by a community-oriented ‘anchor’ tenant coworkers have organically created a sharing community.
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In comparison, an accomplished local development clg. was the parent of Co:Worx in Edgeworthstown along with local members of Grow Remote, with advice from their local council. They have a full time manager, a knowledgeable committee and have in a short space of time created an impressive community of coworkers. These examples demonstrate that there are many routes to success for rural remote working hubs, but some factors described below can be found in most successful hubs.
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A sense of community can be created in remote working hubs when management is responsive to the needs of remote workers and create an environment where their users can experience a sense of belonging:
- At the forefront is a professional space with high quality broadband and a people centric approach
- Some people need higher levels of privacy than others, spaces offered need to reflect this
- A kitchen/canteen and space for people to chat, without disturbing others
Typical of the sharing economy is not everyone will contribute, but some do pay it forward by mentoring or connecting people starting out with new knowledge and networks. Sometimes this begins with managed interactions or events, or is self-organisation by hub users to create new collaborations. While it is realistic to consider the role of remote working hubs as a way to bring digital transformation to life at community level, a volunteer-led model is not sustainable; hubs need knowledgeable support to be sustainable and to fulfil their potential.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
