The University of Miami Life Science & Technology Park is introducing co-working lab and office space intended to foster innovation among early-stage companies.
The UM Park’s developer, Wexford Science & Technology, has selected Miami-based Right Space Management to operate and manage The Right Space Innovation Center, which will contain 40,000 square feet of shared office and lab space on the first and third floors of the Park’s first building.
The fully-outfitted lab space is already open. Thirteen lab spaces can can leased for 3-, 6-, 9- or 12-month periods, and an additional lab is available for shorter periods for one-time projects or short term research needs, perhaps a few hours or a few days, said Carolina Rendeiro, who runs
Right Space Management along with her partner, Annette Reisburg.
Co-working space for startups that can’t afford offices or prefer the communal environment will be
opening next month. For a $200 monthly membership, up to 55 entrepreneurs will be able to use the shared workstations, stadium seating, small tables for collaboration, wireless access, a treadmill and showers, Rendeiro said. Lectures, mentorship activities and other events are also planned.
“We’re finding the nonconventional environment appeals to a lot of people, young people as well as Baby Boomers,” said Rendeiro, whose company also manages work spaces on Brickell Bay Drive and on Coral Gables' Miracle Mile. “They all appreciate a healthy work environment.”
Once the startups outgrow the co-working space, they can move into larger office spaces without leaving the Right Space Innovation Center. “They can grow with us,” said Rendeiro. The Innovation Center’s 63 more traditional offices are already leasing.
While there are other co-working space in Miami’s urban core, including MiamiShared downtown, Buro Miami in Midtown and the newly opened LAB Miami in Wynwood, this is the only other place in the Southeast U.S. that offers co-working, offices and labs in a research facility, the developer said.
“We now have all technologies and can fit all budgets,” said Bill Hunter, the UM Park’s project leasing manager. “We are bundling all those innovations. We need to add all these services because that is how you will home grow the companies of tomorrow.”