Deliverable No. 3.4.2.

Transnational SWOT analysis

8th March 2018

PROJECT INFORMATION
Project name Social innovation research on coworking clusters
Acronym COWORKMed
Axis 1 “Promoting Mediterranean innovation capacities to develop smart and
sustainable growth”
Programme specific 1.1 To increase transnational activity of innovative clusters and networks
objective of key sectors of the MED area
Project website https://coworkmed.interreg-med.eu/
WP (name and number) 3.4. SWOT analysis addressing MED Cities and Territories
Activity (name and L3.4.2. Territorial SWOT analysis (Tuscany Region)
number)
Partner in charge IRIS
Partners involved IRIS
Status Draft
Distribution Restricted
Summary

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 3
1. National and regional SWOTs. A short summary .................................................... 4
Table 1. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SWOTS. SYNOPTIC VIEW ...................................................................... 4
Table 2. STRENGHTS ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Table 2. WEAKNESSES ................................................................................................................................... 5
Table 4. OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................................................................................... 6
Table 5. STRENGTHS ...................................................................................................................................... 6
2. Transnational SWOT ............................................................................................... 7
Table 6. TRANSNATIONAL SWOT AND MOST RECURRING CATEGORIES ...................................................... 7
3. Recommendations for the final guidelines ............................................................. 8
Table 7. MATRIX OF STRATEGIC POSSIBILITIES.............................................................................................. 8
USING STRENGTHS TO EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITIES ......................................................................................... 8
USING STRENGTHS TO AVOID OR MINIMALIZE THREATS ............................................................................. 8
IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS WEAKNESSES THAT MAY PREVENT ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES ................................ 9
IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES THAT MAKE THE ORGANISATION VULNERABLE TO THREATS................................. 9

2
Introduction

Following national/regional SWOTs (deliverable 3.4.1.), the transnational SWOT presented in

the next pages is the final result of the reasoning developed around the harmful and helpful
factors affecting coworking activities in the Coworkmed area. As conceived here, in the context of
Coworkmed project, the transnational SWOT is a structured list of factors related to the project
and to its environment/context. Since SWOT analysis is applied to public action in order to search
for an effective strategy1, this transnational SWOT aims to elicitate a clearer definition of the final
guidelines (3.8 activity).
As well-known, SWOT is an acronym, standing for strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) on one side
(internal factors), and opportunities (O) and threats (T) on the other (external factors). Internal
factors (both harmful and helpful) are those in respect of which the project can play a role or
determine some effects; external factors are those in respect of which partners’ activities cannot
have any influence, even if those factors can affect (positively or negatively) the context in which
the project intervenes.
More in details, the purpose of the transnational SWOT are:
- to highlight the dominant and determining factors, both within and outside of the involved
organisations/partners, affecting the success of the project and its related activities;
- to produce relevant and effective strategic guidelines;
- to reduce the areas of uncertainty related to the possible implementation of future steps and
actions.
This report is articulated as follows:
- the first paragraph summarises the main indications coming from the national and regional
SWOTs and describes the categories applied to interpret and group the data;
- the second focuses on the transnational SWOT arising from national and regional SWOTs;
- the third paragraph highlights the most relevant recommendations to be developed in the
final guidelines.

1
See European Commission, Evalsed Sourcebook on Methods and Techniques,
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/news/2013/11/evaluation-guidance-evalsed-guide-and-
sourcebook-updates, pp. 158-164.

3
1. National and regional SWOTs. A short summary
The table below provide a synoptic view of the national and regional SWOTs (for more details,
see 3.4.1. deliverables).
Table 1. NATIONAL AND REGIONAL SWOTS. SYNOPTIC VIEW
Helpful
STRENGHTS
CAT  Impact of the coworking concept on the labor market
 Presence of relevant stakeholder for the region of Catalonia
- Cowocat
 Coworking spaces like hub of knowledge
CRO  Concentration of business entities / entrepreneurs
 Increasing number of professional individuals
 Welcoming startup ecosystem
 Strong civil sector
 Developed modern business infrastructure
INTERNAL FACTORS
GR  The variety of quality services offered
 Active engagement and support from public bodies,
policymakers and other stakeholders
 Relatively low-cost services
PAC  Increasing offer in response of a strong existing demand for
coworking spaces and access to digital services and products
 Existing regional policy to support innovative third places.
 Diversity and diversification of workplaces and services
offered
 Strong connection with the entrepreneurial ecosystem
 Changing needs and mentalities
TUS  The current regional policy framework
 Ongoing interactions between institutions and stakeholders
 Municipalities’ sensitivity and interest for coworking
activities
 Various managing practices and offered services
OPPORTUNITIES
CAT  Development of public policies for the recognition of the
concept coworking on the part of the Administration
 Integration talents with local economic activity
 Emergence of new concepts coworking - business factory
 There are margins of growth in market for coworking spaces
CRO  EU funding opportunities for SMEs
 Networking and cross-border cooperation
 Substantial growth of coworking spaces
 Development of Crowdfunding Platforms
GR  Financing possibilities through European and national
EXTERNAL FACTORS
programs
 Increasing number of freelancers and individual
professionals
 Strong local and national SMEs networks
PAC  Wide majority of micro-businesses and SMEs on the territory
 Rise of teleworking in enterprises and in administrations
 Local authorities starting to carry coworking spaces by
themselves
 Transformation of work induced by digital technologies or by
the apparition of new profession
TUS  Tuscan socio-economic model: a polycentric system
 International supply chains based on SMEs
 Increasing number of freelancers and individual
professionals
 Increasing role of knowledge in the socio-economic system
4
Harmful
WEAKNESSES
 Lack of action in recognition of the coworking concept on the
part of the Administration
 Lacking in an on-line tool to encourage the communication of
the values of the associative community - Cowocat
 To encourage the coworking collaborative format, to
strengthen the community of communities
 Lack of strategy and implementing measures for the
development of the economy
 Insufficient cooperation with other counties in the preparation
of joint development economic projects
 Low visibility of freelancers at market
 High taxes and slow administration procedure
 Unclear and not well defined bureaucratic steps for setting up a
coworking space
 Concentration of the vast majority of coworking spaces in the
two biggest cities of Greece
 Inactivity of some existing coworking spaces
 Lack of visibility
 Fragility of business models
 Synergies to be found between coworking spaces
 Age limitations in Regional regulations
 Inactivity or weak territorial rooting of some coworking spaces
 Reductive approaches (‘renting offices’)
 Polarisation of Tuscan coworking spaces
THREATS
 Current policy and economic situation
 Large companies that offer services of coworking
 Spaces that there are named “coworking” but they do not offer
the activity as such
 Legislative deficiency related to entrepreneurial development
 Migration outflows/moving economic activities of successful
startups abroad
 Difficult assess to finance for freelancers
 Lack of a formal regulation for coworking spaces and the
overall sector
 The overall negative economic situation in Greece
 Overall trend and need for professionals to minimize their
operational costs
 Concerns about self-employment negative effects (social and
economic condition of the coworkers, etc.)
 A rural depopulation and a context of economic inequalities
 Rarefaction of public grants
 Rise of real estate prices for coworking spaces
 Overall trend of weakening of Tuscan SMEs
 Enduring prevalence of closed (family) management styles in
SMEs
 Low perception of opportunities related to high skills in SMES
 Freelancers’/individual professionals’ increasing job insecurity
 In the following four tables, each one representing a specific section of the SWOT, each subject
has been classified under one of the following five, discrete, categories:
- POLICIES (highlighted in red);
- MARKET (yellow);
- MEMBERS (grey);
- SERVICES (green);
- STAKEHOLDERS (blue).
The last two (services and stakeholders) are not present among the external factors since they
deal with activities and factors involving coworking spaces activities (and as such, they are not
really external with respect to the observed framework).

Table 2. STRENGHTS
CAT  Impact of the coworking concept on the labor market
 Presence of relevant stakeholders for the region of Catalonia
 Coworking spaces like hub of knowledge
CRO  Concentration of business entities/entrepreneurs
 Increasing number of professional individuals
 Welcoming startup ecosystem
 Strong civil sector
 Developed modern business infrastructure
GR  The variety of quality services offered
 Active engagement and support from public bodies, policymakers and other stakeholders
 Relatively low-cost services
PAC  Increasing offer in response of a strong existing demand for coworking spaces and access to digital services
and products
 Existing regional policy aiming to support innovative third places
 Diversity and diversification of workplaces and services offered
 Strong connection with the entrepreneurial ecosystem
 Changing needs and mentalities
TUS  The current regional policy framework
 Ongoing interactions between institutions and stakeholders
 Municipalities’ sensitivity and interest for coworking activities
 Various managing practices and offered services

Table 2. WEAKNESSES
CAT  Lack of action in recognition of the coworking concept on the part of the Administration
 Lacking an on-line tool to encourage the communication of the values of the associative community
 To encourage the coworking collaborative format, to strengthen the community of communities
CRO  Lack of strategy and implementing measures for the development of the economy
 Insufficient cooperation with other counties in the preparation of joint development economic projects
 Low visibility of freelancers at market
 High taxes and slow administration procedures
GR  Unclear and not well defined bureaucratic steps for setting up a coworking space
 Concentration of the vast majority of coworking spaces in the two biggest cities of Greece
 Inactivity or weak territorial rooting of some coworking spaces
PAC  Lack of visibility
 Fragility of business models
 Synergies to be found between coworking spaces

5
TUS  Age limitations in Regional regulations
 Inactivity or weak territorial rooting of some coworking spaces
 Reductive approaches (‘renting offices’)
 Polarisation of Tuscan coworking spaces

Table 4. OPPORTUNITIES
CAT  Development of public policies for the recognition of the concept coworking on the part of the
Administration
 Integration of talents in local economic activity
 Emergence of new concepts (coworking - business factory)
 Margins of growth in market for coworking spaces
CRO  EU funding opportunities for SMEs
 Networking and cross-border cooperation
 Substantial growth of coworking spaces
 Development of Crowdfunding Platforms
GR  Financing possibilities through European and national programs
 Increasing number of freelancers and individual professionals
 Strong local and national SMEs networks
PAC  Wide majority of micro-businesses and SMEs on the territory
 Rise of teleworking in enterprises and in administrations
 Local authorities starting to carry coworking spaces by themselves
 Transformation of work induced by digital technologies or by the apparition of new profession
TUS  Tuscan socio-economic model: a polycentric system
 International supply chains based on SMEs
 Increasing number of freelancers and individual professionals
 Increasing role of knowledge in the socio-economic system

Table 5. STRENGTHS
THREATS
CAT  Current political and economic situation
 Big companies offering coworking services
 Spaces named as “coworking” but not really offering the activity as such
CRO  Legislative deficiency related to entrepreneurial development
 Migration outflows/moving economic activities of successful startups abroad
 Difficult assess to finance for freelancers
GR  Lack of a formal regulation for coworking spaces and the overall sector
 The overall negative economic situation in Greece
 Overall trend and need for professionals to minimize their operational costs
PAC  Concerns about self-employment negative effects (social and economic condition of the coworkers, etc.)
 A rural depopulation and a context of economic inequalities
 Rarefaction of public grants
 Rise of real estate prices for coworking spaces
TUS  Overall trend of weakening of Tuscan SMEs
 Enduring prevalence of closed (family) management styles in SMEs
 Low perception of opportunities related to high skills in SMES
 Freelancers’/individual professionals’ increasing job insecurity

6
2. Transnational SWOT

Table 6 shows the transnational SWOT. This SWOT has been built up by grouping topics and
items under the previously mentioned five categories (only three with regard to the external
factors). Each plus or minus beside the title of each category indicates how many territories have
listed an item falling into that specific category: the more numerous are the signs ‘plus’ (or
‘minus’), the higher the relevance of that category for Coworkmed area (for instance, five plus
mean that each partner has highlighted at least an item belonging to that category).
The categories more frequently reported in national and regional SWOTs in Coworkmed
territories are highlighted in purple (they score at least four or five plus or minus).

Table 6. TRANSNATIONAL SWOT AND MOST RECURRING CATEGORIES

Helpful Harmful
STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
 POLICIES +++  POLICIES - - - -
Even if the legal framework is almost non- Specific measures to be reviewed, unclear
existent in any country/region, a set of policy frameworks, lack of overall economic
different supportive policies and initiatives strategies, confused procedures
is taking place in some territories  MARKET - - - -
 MARKET +++ Lack of synergies between coworking
INTERNAL FACTORS

Active networks, clusterisation and spaces, weak territorial rooting

dynamisation processes; good practices;  USERS -
coworking as hub of knowledge, ecosystem Users’ low visibility and economic fragility
ties  SERVICES -
 USERS ++ Reductive approaches
Increasing demand/number of freelancers  STAKEHOLDERS/ACTORS - - -
 SERVICES +++ Uncertainties in building coworking spaces
Variety, price affordability networks
 STAKEHOLDERS/ACTORS: ++++
Lively interactions between stakeholders
and institutions, active engagement
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
 POLICIES ++++  POLICIES - - - -
Possibility to develop public policies, direct Legislative deficiency, rarefaction of public
participation of local authorities to grants
EXTERNAL FACTORS

coworking initiatives; EU funding  MARKET - - - - -

opportunities SMEs weaknesses, big companies
 MARKET +++ competition, overall negative economic
Overall economic trends increasing SMEs framework, rise of real estate prices
and freelancers as targets of coworking  USERS - - - -
spaces Freelancers’ weak professional condition
 USERS +++++
Labour markets transformations promote
digitalisation and new professions

7
3. Recommendations for the final guidelines

The final recommendations arise from the transnational SWOT and the four strategic steps as
represented in the 3x3 matrix of table 7.

Table 7. MATRIX OF STRATEGIC POSSIBILITIES

Strengths Weaknesses
Opportunities Exploit opportunities Identify risks
Threats Avoid/minimalize threats Identify vulnerabilities

USING STRENGTHS TO EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITIES

o Enhancing the variety of services offered by coworking spaces in order to meet the
increasing demand of actual or potential coworkers (SMEs, freelancers, professionals,
etc.)
o Enhancing territorial anchoring, by forecasting in future calls the involvement of
municipalities and local administrations interested in the clustering of skilled
independent workers
o Reinforcing civic initiatives and associations operating as promoters of new users’
communities and of independent professionals’ cooperation with local and national
authorities
o Strengthening partnerships, associative ties or networks between coworking spaces in
order to better negotiate and represent coworking spaces’ interests in the institutional
context
o Monitoring and spreading existing good practices (i.e.: financial support for demand, not
for supply)

USING STRENGTHS TO AVOID OR MINIMALIZE THREATS

o Exploiting the increasing vivacity of the interactions between stakeholders and

administrations in order to clarify the regulatory uncertainties arising in each context
(bureaucratic burdens, procedural issues for opening cws, etc.)
o Promoting, mainly through ‘soft regulation’ and ‘quasi-market’ strategies (call for
grants, specific awards), both variety and quality of services offered, increasing this way
the qualitative level of services, and also containing the risk of coworking shifting to
more traditional activities (‘renting offices’)
o Favourising clusterisation processes and ecosystem ties aimed to reinforce users’
visibility and their sustainable development
o Supporting entrepreneurial and associatives initiatives directed to regenerate
abandoned or disused spaces

8
IDENTIFY AND ADDRESS WEAKNESSES THAT MAY PREVENT ACHIEVING OBJECTIVES

o Identifying bottlenecks and deficiencies in legal provisions related to the opening and
the full operation (also in terms of taxation) of coworking spaces
o Providing guidelines for establishing a coworking and promoting its interactions with
territories and users (SMEs, associations, freelancers etc.)
o Creating a set of indicators for assessing the financial stability of different business
models and for evaluating the impact of coworkers’ activities (with particular reference
to cases of positive or negative self-employment paths)
o Developing or strengthening agencies and institutions (both public and private, or in
partnership) supporting individual professionals to efficiently use financial EU
instruments

IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES THAT MAKE THE ORGANISATION VULNERABLE TO THREATS

o Connecting or finetuning coworking policies to the EU/regional strategic planning on

innovation, allowing stakeholders to reinforce their sectoral, financial and strategic
assets
o Locating coworking contribution within policies oriented to the promotion of ‘Third
places’ as a set of different but related spaces (business accelerators, business
incubators, coworking spaces, etc.)
o Creating or developing spaces or forums for consultation between institutions and
stakeholders in order to locally intervene on the most relevant legal loopholes (the
proper territorial and institutional scale depends on the context)
o Defining strategies aimed to prevent the polarisation of the market and to support
territorially rooted coworking spaces
o Studying real estate market mechanism in order to prevent the threat of real estate
prices on coworking spaces sustainability