Institute of Performance Management and IKEA: Rethinking Workspaces

What does an office look like that combines focused work, flexible collaboration, interaction, breaks, and the meaningful use of artificial intelligence? Prof. Dr. Sabine Remdisch at the Institute of Performance Management at Leuphana University Lüneburg and IKEA are addressing this question for companies in Hamburg.

At the heart of the collaboration is the “Reimagining Workspaces” project, featuring a walk-through model office designed for the workplace of tomorrow. To this end, a section of the IKEA store in Hamburg-Altona is being transformed into a functional work environment that brings together the key requirements of modern work: focused work, hybrid collaboration, flexible use of space, informal interaction, movement, regeneration, and the integration of AI-supported technologies.

“Especially when it comes to AI, the question arises as to how it should interact with us in our daily work—as a clearly recognizable counterpart, such as an avatar or robot, or unobtrusively in the background, for example integrated into furniture or building systems—and whether employees can activate it specifically or whether it runs continuously in the background,” says Prof. Dr. Sabine Remdisch, holder of the Chair of Personnel and Organizational Psychology. “With ‘Reimagining Workspaces,’ we are creating a real-world laboratory where new forms of work can be experienced firsthand and, at the same time, analyzed scientifically."

For IKEA, the project addresses the question of how workspaces are changing in the age of hybrid work. This isn’t just about traditional office spaces, but also about the transitions between living and working, flexible usage scenarios, and solutions that are functional, accessible, and relevant to everyday life.

“Today, work constantly shifts between different locations,” says Germán Astudillo of IKEA Hamburg. “We’re interested in which furnishing solutions truly support people—whether they’re focusing on work, exchanging ideas, or wanting to use a space in different ways throughout the day. Together with Leuphana, we can not only demonstrate this but also gain a better understanding of it.”

The model office is divided into four areas: The model office at the IKEA store in Hamburg-Altona is supported by DEKOM Germany in terms of media technology solutions and hybrid work environments. 

• Smart Work demonstrates how people and AI can collaborate.
• Flex Space focuses on flexible and adaptable space solutions.
• Team Connect focuses on hybrid collaboration and new meeting formats.
• Flow Lounge offers space for interaction, breaks, movement, and well-being.

“Hybrid work only works well when spaces, technology, and usage scenarios are designed with each other in mind,” says Simon Härke of DEKOM Germany. “In this project, we can demonstrate how modern media technology facilitates collaboration without losing sight of the human element.”

Leuphana is providing academic support for the project, and Professor Sabine Remdisch is researching how visitors experience the spatial and technological concepts. The results are intended to provide public inspiration for future office, home office, and meeting solutions, while also demonstrating how academia and practice can jointly develop new answers to key questions in the world of work.