Co-working is becoming more and more popular. In the age of working from home, those who still need an office but cannot afford to rent one are seeking out shared spaces where they can work in peace. This is even more true for those with small living areas, where space for an office is not always available. As an article in Milano Finanza explains, Poste Italiane is preparing to offer co-working spaces and activities at its offices.
All over Italy
The article describes a network of 250 sites located throughout the country. The call for tenders has already been announced to award the contract to manage such spaces as well as to provide the necessary technological platform. The deadline for bids is 3 February 2023, and the tender is worth more than €30 million in total.
Support for small communities
The article states, “The plan is part of the broader Polis project financed by the NRRP, which calls for total investments of €1.12 billion, €320 million by Poste Italiane. In particular, 7,000 post offices in small towns with fewer than 15,000 residents will be involved, because the aim of Polis is to offer services in small communities, fostering social and territorial cohesiveness and aiming to counter depopulation”.
Post offices to undergo massive change
The post offices involved — 4,800 of which are in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents — will undergo a profound transformation. They will be enhanced with 4,800 self-service stations for public services, lockers for parcel deliveries and other 24-hour services, 4,800 interactive information windows, and 5,000 charging stations for electric vehicles. The post offices will also see a change with the installation of 1,000 photovoltaic systems and 4,800 smart building systems and environmental monitoring sensors.
Prototypes
Pilot projects are already in place. “The first three prototypes in Fara in Sabina (Rieti), Campagnano di Roma and San Felice Circeo (Latina)”, the article states, “have already been launched, while 18 one-stop shops will be ready by March 2023, financed with €20 million of Poste’s own resources”.
