Digital drives workplace trends in the Nordics

Rapid advancements in digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are driving significant change in the Nordic real estate sector and quickening the pace of transition to smart offices, factory buildings and high-street retail spaces. While existing and emerging technologies remain the primary catalyst for change, the real estate industry's transition is heavily motivated by a more robust focus on embracing energy-reduction technology to support the construction of next-generation smart buildings. The broader adoption of AI and digital technologies in smart building design is also influenced by the transformative nature of working practices across the Nordic countries that was triggered by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In Sweden, the mass return of employees to normal office functions during the first quarter of 2022 coincided with a national multi-sector debate on "workplace wellbeing" that looked at how AI and digital technologies, integrated into building design, could be used to deliver safer and superior environments for all employees. A link between the workplace environment and higher safety measures being demanded by trade unions at employers in Sweden features in a research-based report from real estate group Wihlborgs that was undertaken in partnership with NAVET Analytics and Quilt.AI.