From Workspace to Thinking Tank

The traditional open-plan office was once a symbol of modern collaboration – today, it represents noise, distraction, and high energy consumption. With advancing digitalization and the rise of artificial intelligence, the role of the physical office is fundamentally changing. Where presence once mattered, focus, well-being, and integration now take center stage. Work happens in ecosystems – distributed, connected, digitally supported. The office becomes a place where people and technology collaborate.  

Photos (c) Flokk

Sustainability Meets Technology 

Flokk, Europe’s leading manufacturer of sustainable office furniture, stands for design with responsibility. Since 2018, Forte has supported the company on its journey into the digital future – with scalable platforms, interactive 3D configurators, and data-driven customer experiences. What Flokk has achieved in sales now applies equally to the workplace itself: sustainability and digitalization are not mutually exclusive – they amplify each other. Intelligent furniture, modular room concepts, and connected tools create adaptive work environments that adjust to tasks, teams, and even moods. The office responds – not the other way around. 

AI as a Work Catalyst 

AI is changing not only what we do, but how we work. In the future, employees will interact with agents that understand processes, prepare content, or pre-think ideas. This calls for spaces that foster exchange while enabling focused retreat.  

“We design workspaces for a world where people and technology collaborate – not compete,” says Johanna Hedström, Vice President Marketing & Digital at Flokk. “For us, sustainable design means creating furniture and environments that adapt to new ways of working. As AI transforms everyday work, our spaces must become smarter too – adaptable, healthy, and inspiring.” 

The Office as a System 

The future of the office is not an either-or between home office and headquarters, but an intelligent both-and. Sustainable materials meet digital services, sensors meet contextual data, ergonomic design meets agentic AI. Forte and Flokk integrate these dimensions – from platform to workspace. The result: environments that make an impact because they adapt to people and their work. 

This article was published in the Chefinfo (AUT) special edition “Living” on November 11, 2025.