SmartLabs, a leader in flexible laboratory infrastructure, and International Workplace Group (IWG), the world’s largest flexible workspace provider (with brands like Regus, Spaces, HQ, and Signature), have entered into a 10-year global partnership to meet growing demand for turnkey lab environments in both emerging and established life sciences hubs. Announced at the 2025 BIO International Convention in Boston, this partnership marks the first large-scale integration of fully managed lab infrastructure within a global flexible workspace portfolio.

The collaboration will combine SmartLabs’ lab-as-a-service model—including site selection, lab design and buildout, operations management, and scientific support—with IWG’s expansive real estate footprint in more than 120 countries. Together, they aim to accelerate the delivery of research-ready environments for life sciences companies, biotech startups, global pharma, and tech firms in underserved and high-growth markets across Europe, Asia, and beyond.

This new offering removes a significant barrier for scientific and technology companies: the lack of scalable, managed laboratory infrastructure in nontraditional markets. Through this partnership, companies will now be able to rapidly stand up R&D operations without the delays, complexity, or cost burden of building and managing lab facilities themselves.

For SmartLabs, the deal significantly expands its global reach, opening doors to new geographies and enabling more agile service to international clients. For IWG, the move signals an important entry into lab-enabled real estate, a high-growth segment that offers new value to landlords, developers, and investors seeking exposure to the booming life sciences sector—without having to manage lab operations directly.

Both CEOs emphasized the alignment of their respective strengths. SmartLabs CEO Brian Taylor pointed to the growing number of scientific communities globally that lack the infrastructure to commercialize research and said the partnership would empower innovators to “push science forward, faster.” IWG CEO Mark Dixon highlighted how this solution mirrors IWG’s existing value proposition for traditional offices—offering speed, scale, and simplicity to partners—now applied to specialized lab environments.

The announcement comes amid heightened global competition for lab space and increasing financial pressure on R&D-focused companies to move fast while preserving capital. The SmartLabs-IWG model delivers an efficient, low-risk path to operational readiness, aligning with the broader trend toward specialized, service-integrated real estate for science and innovation-driven industries.