Co-working space operator JustCo expects to open its first "smart" centre here in the third quarter of this year.

The facility in The Centrepoint mall in Orchard Road will cater to members but will also allow the public to use the spaces and amenities - such as hot desks, a lounge, seminar rooms and phone booths - on a pay-per-minute basis using the company's mobile app.

This will be the first JustCo centre to pilot the pay-per-minute concept, said the Singapore-based group yesterday.

The centre, its second in a mall here, will be spread across 60,000 sq ft over three floors and include a robot butler, cardless access with facial recognition capability and a digital wayfinder to help users find their way around.

Its cafe will also be open to the public.

JustCo founder and chief executive Kong Wan Sing said malls in the city see annual footfall of more than 30 million, compared with approximately 120,000 in an office building in the Central Business District.

"We believe that there is a huge untapped opportunity in the retail space segment," he added.

This comes as the company - which is backed by sovereign wealth fund GIC and real estate firm Frasers Property - aims to double its presence across Asia-Pacific this year. It has 42 centres in eight cities, including 17 here.

It grew by more than 150 per cent in total area managed in co-working spaces last year, compared with 2018, while membership also doubled in just over 12 months.

JustCo said it intends to grow its headcount this year by 30 per cent across various functions - such as real estate management, strategic investment and digital innovation - after doubling staff numbers in the past year to more than 300 employees regionally.

It also plans to open a fourth centre in Bangkok in the third quarter of this year.

The new centre of around 4,000 sq m will be at Amarin Plaza, a mixed-use building of retail, offices and a dining hall with direct access from the Chit Lom skytrain station.

Joanna Seow