The report, commissioned by International Workplace Group (IWG) to celebrate 300 years since the world’s first purpose-built office - the Old Admiralty Building, opened in London in 1726 to support the rapid expansion of British naval global business and the civil service - surveyed business leaders about how the modern workplace has evolved. Other iconic purpose-built offices of the last three centuries include the Witte Huis (Holland, 1898), one of the earliest skyscrapers, the Wainwright Building (U.S., 1891) and the Pentagon (U.S., 1943).
In Hungary, the spaces used for office work have undergone a fundamental transformation over the past three to four decades, evolving from historic inner-city apartment buildings, bank headquarters and public administration buildings to today’s diverse office sector including the rapidly growing flexspace market. The arrival of foreign investors and multinational companies created new demand, leading to the development of the first modern office buildings in Budapest. In the 1990s and 2000s, new business districts began to take shape, including the Váci Corridor.
This next major transformation, however, has been driven not only by the emergence of new buildings, but also by fundamental changes in the way businesses and people work. The rise of cloud-based systems and video collaboration tools has made it possible for employees to work effectively from multiple locations, redefining the role of the office in Hungary as well. The focus has gradually shifted from the office as a single, fixed place of work towards solutions that better reflect changing business and employee needs. As a leading player in this trend, IWG’s global network, including its Regus and Spaces brands, today offers flexible working solutions in Hungary that help companies build more agile capital light real-estate strategies, while contributing to more efficient and productive ways of working.
At the heart if this workplace evolution lies technological advancement, with laptops, video calling, Wi-Fi and hybrid working completing the top five most influential office innovations.
The study results show that CEOs view the technological shift workers are going through right now as being as significant as anything the office has gone through in the last 300 years, such as the rise of the typewriter, smartphones or even the internet.
The top five is dominated by modern developments in technology that have transformed working life over the past decade. All are now firmly entrenched across IWG’s global network, the largest in the world, with brands including Spaces and Regus.
Top five workplace innovations of the past 300 years for CEOs
- AI (36%)
- Laptops and tablets (35%)
- Video call/conferencing (Teams/Zoom) (31%)
- Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (29%)
- Hybrid working (26%)
Hybrid working – selected by a quarter (26%) of CEOs stands out as the defining shift in how, where and why people work amidst developments in hard and software.
This transformation is already embedded in day-to-day working life. Compared to a decade ago, 35% of CEOs say technology has made it easier for employees to work from anywhere, while 30% say meetings are now more likely to be virtual than in person.
Transformational decades: the 2020s and 1990s
The 2020s are viewed as the most transformational decade to date, driven by the rapid adoption of hybrid models, AI, automation and flexible working practices.
This marks a significant leap from the 1990s, the second most impactful era, when the internet, email and early computing technologies first connected workplaces on a global scale.
From fax machines to failed fads
But many of these ‘90s innovations are lost on younger workers. When asked if they could describe some of these innovations, only one in five (20%) could do so for fax machines and 16% for floppy disks – despite it being the instantly recognisable “save document” icon.
Despite this generational knowledge gap, there remains a sense of nostalgia. Over two thirds (68%) of CEOs say they feel nostalgic for workplace tools and technologies of the past.
Much like typewriters and dial-up internet, not all modern technology is expected to survive. Innovations that CEOs expected to transform how we work but turned out to be short-lived include smart glasses (41%), desk treadmills (39%) and interactive whiteboards (35%).
Today’s workplace boosts productivity
More than a third (35%) of business leaders say it’s AI that has had the greatest impact on productivity in their organisation, ahead of laptops and video calling. Overall, 83% of CEOs say recent changes in how we work have been positive, while 81% believe today’s workplace is better designed for collaboration and productivity.
Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder of IWG, commented: “For the past 300 years, the office has continually evolved alongside each major wave of tech innovation. Now with the advent and rapid adoption of AI, we are seeing one of the most significant and groundbreaking innovations over this entire period”.
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 4004 Office workers (2004 the UK and 2000 in the US). The data was collected between 19.03.2026 - 23.03.2026.
