A French digital health company, with part of its team already based in the suburbs of Porto, needs to relocate to accommodate rapid growth, expanding from 40 to nearly 100 employees.
The objective is to secure a rapid setup in a structured environment capable of supporting this scale-up.
The flexible office and flex office real estate market in Portugal is expanding rapidly but remains highly fragmented and difficult to navigate.
For a management team based in Paris, the challenge is to make a reliable decision remotely, without frequent travel, while ensuring the quality of the spaces and the contractual terms.
Added to this is a structural challenge: aligning different operating methods, standards, and timelines between a French management team and a local Portuguese environment.
Our intervention involved structuring the decision-making process in a context combining rapid growth, distance, and local complexity.
Identification of an off-market opportunity for a flex office space currently undergoing final fit-out.
Projecting the team’s needs into a space not yet operational to anticipate its actual capacity to support growth.
Coordinating analyses, validating key parameters, and securing terms without the client’s constant physical presence.
Management that maintains project momentum while mitigating risks associated with distance.
A nuanced understanding of local Portuguese logic and the expectations of a French management team.
Beyond simple coordination, this work involved aligning different decision-making styles, standards, and timelines. This ability to anticipate cultural gaps helped secure trade-offs, avoid misunderstandings, and create a lasting framework of trust between the parties.
The project focused on the Boavista / Trindade sector, a rapidly growing business environment offering accessibility, economic dynamism, and talent appeal.
A location consistent with an international expansion strategy, balancing development with cost control.
This positioning provides access to a clearer and more structured setting than the historic center, better suited for flexible office projects in Porto and rapidly evolving teams.
This case illustrates the complexity of real estate decisions in emerging markets where information is fragmented and standards vary.
Access to an opportunity—including off-market—is not enough. The value lies in the ability to visualize an unfinished flex office space, secure a remote decision, and align stakeholders from different cultures around a shared vision of the project.
Setup of 100 workstations secured.
Choosing a flexible office space (flex office) allowed for a rapid launch within a framework adapted to the company’s trajectory and managed effectively despite the distance.
Every situation presents its own constraints. The quality of the decision depends on the ability to interpret them correctly.