Workplaces are changing fast, and the way we manage them needs to keep up. Hybrid work and shifting team sizes mean many companies no longer want fixed offices. They want space they can scale on demand. This shift drives interest in Space as a Service (SPaaS).

The global SPaaS market was valued at about USD 8.7 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 14 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 5.1 percent (Allied Market Research, 2025). The broader workspace‑as‑a‑service market is also growing at 13–14 percent annually through 2030 (Grand View Research, 2024). Across Europe, flexible office space continues to expand as real estate owners update buildings for hybrid work (Cushman & Wakefield, 2023).

However, SPaaS depends on much smarter workspace management to meet flexible layout demands. It needs a more integrated layer because operators must track desks, chairs, monitors, devices, and other physical items moving through a space daily. Without clear visibility, assets get lost, stay unused, or create extra cost and waste.

At Camio we see this gap as the missing foundation of the modern workspace platform. That is why we are building the SPaaS operating system — a Layer‑1 application on which everything else can build.

But what does this mean in practice?

You can think of the Camio platform as more than just a workplace asset management tool. We give every physical item a live digital identity and let operators:

• see what they own
• move assets quickly between rooms, properties or geographies using internal or external logistics partners
• unlock the value of unused assets in a circular marketplace, letting teams sustainably offload and procure assets

Done at scale, this becomes a software capability that makes SPaaS business models and large internal workplace operations easier, circular, and much more profitable.

1. The Rise of SPaaS and Why the World Needs It

The way companies use space has changed more in the last five years than in the previous twenty. Hybrid work is now the default for many teams. Many offices sit partly empty on any given day. At the same time, companies still need space that supports focus, teamwork, and culture. This mix creates pressure to make every square foot work harder.

SPaaS has grown out of this need. Instead of treating space as a fixed asset acquired and relinquished under lease agreements, SPaaS treats it as a flexible product. Businesses subscribe to space, scale up or down, and pay only for what they use. The value is clear: they save money, react to shifting headcounts, and avoid long tenancies that no longer match their needs.

SPaaS also gives building owners new ways to operate. They can divide unused floors into flexible zones, run on-demand layouts, and offer add-on services to generate new revenue. This shift aligns with how flexible office space is rising across Europe as owners reshape buildings for hybrid work patterns (Cushman & Wakefield, 2023). These trends show demand is shifting toward space that adapts.

Market growth supports this shift. SPaaS is set to reach USD 14 billion by 2031 (Allied Market Research, 2025). The broader workspace‑as‑a‑service category grows even faster, with a strong annual growth rate through 2030 (Grand View Research, 2024). This momentum reflects a clear shift toward flexible, modular, service-led workspaces.

Yet growth brings a challenge: space can only remain flexible if the assets inside it move with speed and precision. A flexible layout is useless if the desks are lost, broken, or stuck in a storage room. SPaaS depends on live, reliable asset data. Without it, operators face delays, higher costs, and disappointed customers.

2. Why SPaaS Cannot Scale Without Strong Asset Infrastructure

SPaaS may look simple on paper: companies book space when needed, use it, and scale up or down. But behind every flexible layout lies a complex network of physical assets. These include desks, chairs, monitors, chargers, meeting gear, whiteboards, lockers, plants — and many other items that make a workspace functional and inviting.

Most operators lack clear visibility of these assets. Items get misplaced, sit idle, or disappear. Some break without record. Others languish in storage because no one knows they exist. These issues escalate as organizations manage multiple properties or serve many customers.

This gap creates a major barrier for SPaaS. You cannot offer flexible space if you cannot track the items that make that space work. Without asset-level visibility:

• You cannot reconfigure a floor in a day.
• You cannot keep costs low when absorbing duplicate purchases.
• You cannot ensure consistent quality across sites.
• You cannot support circular reuse or resale.

A strong SPaaS foundation depends on live asset data. Operators need to know what they own, where it sits, what its condition is, and how best to move it with minimal effort and cost. With that foundation, flexible space becomes fast, predictable, and profitable. Without it, SPaaS becomes slow, costly, and unreliable — which negatively affects tenants or customers.

Comparison: Without vs With a Real SPaaS Asset Platform

Challenge	Without a SPaaS Platform	With a SPaaS Platform (like Camio)
Asset visibility & accuracy	Manual, error-prone, unreliable asset data	Fast, accurate inventory with live, digital records
Asset tracking & movement	Items lost, slow moves, duplicate buying	Real-time tracking; predictable, controlled moves
Waste & Circularity	Surplus assets end up discarded or unused	Assets reused, repaired, resold — circular flow enabled
Operations & logistics	Site-based silos, spreadsheets, email coordination	Standardised workflows, clear logistics across sites
Planning & forecasting	Demand unpredictable, procurement reactive	Data-driven forecasts, smarter procurement, better budget control
Cost of workspace changes	Expensive, slow reconfigurations, lost items	Faster reconfig, lower cost, reliable asset use
Cross-team/site alignment	Facilities, IT, procurement work in silos	Shared data, coordinated operations across organization

A clear pattern emerges: SPaaS cannot scale without a true asset foundation. Operators need more than floor plans. They need full asset visibility, data, and workflows to unlock circular value, reduce cost, and deliver reliable workspace.

3. How Camio Is Building the SPaaS Operating System

SPaaS promises flexibility, but real flexibility — the kind operators deliver — must rest on stable, visible, and well-managed assets. Camio fills that gap by delivering a Layer‑1 platform that turns physical items into managed digital assets across locations and time.

3.1 Live Digital Identity for Every Asset

Camio gives every object — desks, chairs, monitors, cables, fixtures — a permanent, digital identity. Operators can log each item’s model, condition, location, and history. With this, they always know what they own and where it is. They can also plan reconfigurations or redeployments without fear of losing track.

3.2 Rapid Inventory & Deployment Workflows

Instead of slow manual inventories, Camio offers fast room capture, bulk uploads, and automatic product recognition. Assets are instantly logged, assigned, and located. This reduces onboarding time dramatically and prevents data gaps.

3.3 Controlled Movement & Logistics

Camio builds pick‑pack‑move workflows. Internal teams or external logistics partners can follow consistent, traceable processes. Moves between rooms, floors, or even countries become predictable and auditable. Operators avoid loss, duplication, and logistic chaos.

3.4 Built-in Circularity and Asset Recovery

Camio supports reuse, resale, and refurbishment workflows. Surplus or unused assets move into recovery channels rather than storage or landfill. This extends asset life, reduces waste, and recovers value.

3.5 Data-driven Planning & Forecasting

With real-time asset data, Camio enables demand forecasting, lifecycle planning, and procurement hygiene. Operators can forecast when to repair, retire, resell or redeploy assets — reducing over-purchase and wasted budget.

3.6 Scalable Across Buildings and Regions

Because Camio’s workflows and data model are standardised, it works across buildings, floors, and countries. SPaaS operators and enterprise real estate teams can scale operations while preserving consistency, efficiency, and control.

Camio does not sit on top of SPaaS. Camio makes SPaaS work. It provides the stable, intelligent foundation that turns flexible real estate into a reliable, circular, and profitable service.

Conclusion

As the workplace evolves rapidly, asset infrastructure must catch up. SPaaS offers the promise of flexibility, sustainability, and profitability. However, that promise only holds if operators manage assets intelligently. Camio delivers the foundation needed to make SPaaS real. With live data, controlled workflows, circular asset life cycles, and scalable logistics, operators can deliver flexible, efficient, and sustainable workspaces — at any scale.

References

Allied Market Research, 2025. Space as a Service Market Report. [online] Available at: Link

Cushman & Wakefield, 2023. Flexible Office Space Europe Report. [online] Available at: Link

Grand View Research, 2024. Workspace as a Service Market Report. [online] Available at: Link

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