Physical layout of workspace: a driver for productivity in drug discovery

Connecting knowledge islands is of paramount importance to create a competitive edge in science-driven companies. From a constructive perspective, new knowledge is created when individuals communicate. The most intensive level of connection is face-to-face encounters. Short feedback loops are essential for high productivity in research. We analyze the results from a study performed at Novartis's 'Knowledge Campus' in Basel, Switzerland. A change from conventional cellular offices to an ultramodern multispace concept radically changed the patterns of face-to-face encounters between individuals. In this article, we derive implications for the management of R&D and show that multispace concepts are advantageous when individuals depend on one another within multidisciplinary groups.