A FLEXIBLE workspace operator has opened its newest building in Southampton, saying regeneration has made the city attractive for innovative businesses.

Clockwise Southampton takes up three floors at Mountbatten House in Grosvenor Square.

It has an initial 150 desks in 10,000sqft of in private offices and shared space.

Members have access to meeting rooms, a club lounge, breakout areas, an outdoor terrace and an artisan café called Two Hands.

The number of desks will triple with the opening of a second phase later in the year.

Alexandra Brunner, chief operating officer at Clockwise, said: “Southampton is home to a thriving community of entrepreneurs, start-ups and growing businesses so it was a natural decision for us to have a presence there at such an exciting time as we expand our southern business hub.

“The collective experience of working from home in the last 20 months has highlighted the need for more flexible working practices post-pandemic, but businesses still need central spaces that allow for productivity, collaboration and employee wellbeing all in equal measure.

“At Clockwise, our facilities have been programmed to inspire personal and professional growth, connecting individuals to a network of members and businesses.

“We design each Clockwise site with these characteristics in mind, while adopting a localised approach that reflects the personality of each city and best supports the area’s businesses. At Clockwise Southampton, we are committed to providing the business community with a space where they can feel at home, as well as a place to complete their best work and achieve their full potential.”

The offices are decorated with reclaimed materials and “calm neutral colours which nod to the city’s relationship with the water”.

The workspace is the 14th for Clockwise, which says it has seen more than a 200 per cent increase in demand for workspace since January 2020.

Demand for offices in the city doubled in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the 10-year average for the quarter, it says.

The company offers a mix of membership packages which it says has attracted entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups and established businesses.