Unlocking global expertise

At Futurice, we have always expanded by following our clients, from establishing a presence in Berlin due to Nokia and the UK for Vodafone to our deep engagement with the automotive industry in Southern Germany.

This client-driven approach has shaped our way of working, but as the complexity and scale of projects have grown, we needed a new strategy to ensure we could continue delivering at the highest level.

Enter Futurice Hubs and our distributed delivery model that removes geographical constraints and enables us to continue delivering excellence at scale.

A need for change

As our client base expanded, partnerships deepened, and expectations increased, relying solely on local offices presented challenges. Customers needed scalability and delivery capability for large-scale transformation projects, but being a purely local player sometimes limited our ability to meet these needs.

We adopted a new approach to address the issue and continue delivering excellence on the expected level. Instead of setting up offices in just one or two new locations, we chose a fully distributed model, starting with Poland and later expanding to Portugal. This approach offers multiple advantages:

• Access to a wider talent pool – We can hire the best people regardless of their location.
• Flexibility and scalability – We can rapidly adapt to changing market needs regarding technologies and skillsets.
• Better work-life balance – Employees don’t have to uproot their lives to work on exciting projects.

Today, our Polish and Portuguese teams operate seamlessly, with a roughly 50-50 split in our distributed workforce.

The value for clients

For our customers, the model means more expertise, increased flexibility, and better service delivery. The geographical distribution of talent ensures we can scale projects faster, drawing from a diverse and highly skilled pool of professionals. By embracing a hybrid and remote-first mindset, we reduce unnecessary overhead while putting real effort into maintaining a strong company culture.

Our culture and values are attractive for international talent. Emphasizing work-life balance, ethical leadership, low-hierarchy, and structured processes contrasts with more corporate high-pressure environments. This positioning makes us a compelling choice for top professionals seeking meaningful, sustainable work environments. Internally, Hubs teams have some of the highest eNPS scores at Futurice.

For the client, of course, there is no “core” and “hub” – there is just one Futurice. The teams in Poland and Portugal are integral parts of our business, not satellite offices. The goal is not just expansion but integration, ensuring that knowledge, expertise, and opportunities flow seamlessly across the organization so all regions and teams can fully utilize Futurice’s collective expertise. Based on client feedback, we are succeeding at it.

This approach makes us more agile, adaptable, and ready to tackle emerging market opportunities for our clients.

A competitive advantage in a changing market

The distributed model positions us ahead of the curve in addressing the evolving needs of global enterprises. Many industries are experiencing a skills shortage in AI, Machine Learning, data science, and DevOps, particularly in high-demand regions. Our ability to tap into Eastern and Southern European talent pools gives us a strategic advantage, allowing us to staff complex projects efficiently and at scale.

Unlike consultancies tied to traditional office setups, our distributed model gives us the flexibility to scale projects in ways many competitors will find hard to match.

For instance, in one proposal we were able to assemble a team for a major development program, ready to be ramped up within just three months – something that would have been nearly impossible with a purely local recruitment approach. The Hubs model proves that scale, speed, and quality can coexist.

The future of Futurice’s distributed delivery model

Currently, Hubs is one of the fastest growing teams at Futurice. As we continue refining this approach, we aim to integrate our distributed capabilities fully, ensuring that every team member has the same opportunities and access to resources regardless of location. This isn’t just about expansion. We are working to create a borderless organization where knowledge, collaboration, and innovation thrive.

Companies looking to scale internationally can take a page from this playbook. Instead of seeing distributed teams as a challenge, they can be seen as a competitive advantage and a way to attract top talent, enhance agility, and future-proof business operations.

We’re building a smarter, more resilient, and more connected consultancy to help our clients thrive in a changing world.