Milan's Coworking Crunch: Why the City's Tech Startups Are Ditching Fixed Desks

The open-plan coworking floor at Impact Hub Milano in Porta Romana tells a story Milan's startup scene would rather keep quiet. On any given Tuesday afternoon, nearly 40% of reserved desks sit empty—a stark contrast to the bustling vision of collaborative innovation that defined the sector just three years ago.

This shift reflects a broader recalibration happening across Milan's tech ecosystem. Since 2024, when major tech companies began formalizing hybrid policies, coworking operators across the city have watched their occupancy rates plateau, even as new spaces continue to open. The Navigli district, historically the startup heartland, now hosts three new "flex workspace" facilities within a five-minute radius of Viale Gian Galeazzo, yet utilization has remained stagnant at around 65%—a far cry from the pre-pandemic boom years.

"What we're seeing is not decline, but fragmentation," says the sector, with startups increasingly splitting their week between home offices and occasional in-person gatherings. Spaces like Talent Garden in Lambrate and OpenDot in the Zona 9 district have adapted by pivoting toward event-driven bookings and project-specific memberships rather than monthly subscriptions. Monthly coworking memberships in central Milan now average €350-450, a 22% increase since 2022, pricing out earlier-stage founders.

Yet Milan's tech community hasn't abandoned the physical workspace model entirely. Instead, it's evolved. Smaller, neighborhood-based hubs—particularly around Isola and Giambellino—are attracting younger founders seeking affordability over prestige. Several independent collectives have emerged, operating at roughly half the cost of branded operators by sharing modest street-level spaces.

For larger firms, the story differs. Scale-up hubs and corporate innovation labs continue thriving, particularly around Garibaldi and Centrale stations, where companies like Banco BPM and Intesa Sanpaolo maintain dedicated tech incubation spaces. These venues function less as coworking destinations and more as purpose-built ecosystems, blurring traditional boundaries.

The real tension emerging from Milan's coworking landscape isn't about remote versus office work—it's about equity. As premium spaces consolidate in affluent zones, the city risks creating a two-tier system where well-funded startups access quality infrastructure while bootstrapped founders must settle for precarious alternatives. Whether Milan's coworking sector can solve this pricing paradox while maintaining its reputation as Europe's second tech hub remains uncertain.

This article was compiled by AI from the sources linked above and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.