Mark Dixon, Group CEO of Regus(Left) and John Wright, CEO of Regus Asia Pacific (Right) in the 20th anniversary event of Regus China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Regus, the world's leading provider of flexible workspace, has opened a new centre in Lujiazui, Shanghai, which takes the company's footprint in China to more than 130 centers in nearly 30 cities.

It now operates in 2,600 locations in 900 cities throughout 106 countries worldwide.

According to founder and CEO Mark Dixon, Asia is the epicenter of global flexible workspace growth, and China is one of the fastest growing markets in the region.

"The way in which people work is changing rapidly, driven by a wide variety of factors including technological change, globalization and changing workforce dynamics. Regus' business model is focused on supporting this structural shift towards flexible work and co-working for our customers by offering them the opportunity to run their businesses more efficiently and with global flexibility," said Dixon.

The boom in startups and SMEs has seen demand for workspace increase dramatically in China. At the same time, small firms and large Fortune 500 companies have been searching for ways to reduce fixed costs to maximize efficiency and profit.

In the past year, more than 3.6 million new companies have been established in China. That's an increase of 46 percent compared with the previous year, or roughly seven new company registrations every minute, all of which need somewhere to operate.

"The market is changing and now more and more companies are looking for flexible renting offices," Dixon said. "We work with owners of the properties and provide the flexible spaces, not fixed place. Flexibility and low cost makes office renting easy."

Dixon said the company will launch its first co-working product "SPACES" in China soon. A place you can pause to enjoy a really good cup of coffee or a healthy lunch, and where high-speed secure Internet ensures you can work quickly and safely. Compared with shared and open offices for small companies, SPACES will focus on a more casual, relaxed environment and also provide good food to its client.

Regus has grown steadily since entering the China market in 1995. From its first China centre at the Lufthansa building in the heart of Beijing, to its 100th at the SCC in Shenzhen, Regus has set a standard nationwide for quality workspaces.