Many who work in the clean energy sector in the East of England will be familiar with OrbisEnergy, the clean energy business hub that overlooks the UK’s most easterly point in Lowestoft.

They may have attended events in its conference space or worked for one of the many clean energy businesses based in the landmark building, owned by Suffolk County Council and managed by Vertas.

As working trends continue to change and hybrid working has become the norm for many, the centre’s range of services is evolving to reflect these changes.

Responding to feedback from industry professionals who increasingly express a weariness of the spare room or converted garden shed as their regular office, OrbisEnergy has introduced a new hot desk suite, available to businesses of all sizes.

Complementing the already popular virtual innovation and incubation programme (VIP), whereby companies can become part of the OrbisEnergy business community and receive monthly allocations to impressive meeting rooms, VIP Hot Desk provides a perfect stepping stone between virtual and fully serviced offices.

Roka Energy, provider of engineering and project management consultancy services to the civil nuclear and renewable energy sectors, has recently become a VIP Hot Desk tenant at OrbisEnergy.

Rob Franklin, principle consultant at Roka EnergyRob Franklin, principle consultant at Roka Energy (Image: Roka Energy)Rob Franklin, principle consultant at Roka Energy, said: “I signed up to VIP Hot Desk and it has given me access to a high-quality workspace in a fantastic clean energy focussed building. It’s given me the option to regularly work from OrbisEnergy, enabling me to grow my network in the renewable energy sector.”

For a single monthly rate, VIP Hot Desk offers two days a week use of the OrbisEnergy hot desk suite, associated facilities and meeting rooms.

Hot desk users are issued a secure access fob, meaning after taking a short initial building induction, there’s no need to sign in and the desk is accessible at any time of the day or night from Monday to Friday.

Ian Pease, business development manager at OrbisEnergyIan Pease, business development manager at OrbisEnergy (Image: Suffolk County Council) OrbisEnergy’s business development manager, Ian Pease, said: “We’ve been considering introducing the hot desk facility for a while, and as what were once novel ways of working a couple of years ago increasingly become the norm, people want to occasionally work somewhere different, and the time is now right.”

VIP Hot Desk tenants are granted access to all of the resources, benefits and networking events at OrbisEnergy, including information, advice and guidance from a regional innovation manager for the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, who is based in the clean energy business hub.

For an informal conversation about how your business can become part of the OrbisEnergy ecosystem, whether it’s a virtual, hot desk or office tenancy, contact ian.pease@suffolk.gov.uk