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Parking trend www.europeanparking.eu Publication of the European Parking Association | Volume 42 | no. 1-2026 INTERNATIONAL 10 “Open the Silos!” 17 EPA Parking Day(s) at Intertraffic Amsterdam Intertraffic 2026 Strong Emphasis On Parking 28 GOLIA Project EPA Is One of Over 20 Partners AT, BE, CY, FI, FR, DE, IE, IT, LU, PT, SK, SI, ES, NL: 8.50 Euro, HR 63.75 Kuna, GB 7.50 Pound, HU 2,550 Forint, NO 74.50 NOK, PL 39.10 Zloty, SE 80 SEK, CH 15.75 CHF
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EDITORIAL Dear Reader, With the 2026 edition of Intertraffic Amsterdam fresh behind us, I look back on inspiring days at the exhibition and enjoyable gatherings with many of our industry peers and friends. There were many opportunities to attend know- ledge sessions and explore new developments in the area of parking and mobility. These included developments such as AI in parking, automated va- let parking (AVP), the development of national park- ing platforms and the standardisation of parking data (through APDS – see page 32). Our very own EPA Parking Day (see page 10) was held for the second time and was again a great suc- cess in terms of the number of participants at the three Intertraffic Summit sessions, the networking lunch for our members and our open Board meet- ing with the national associations. In the world of parking, the focus is increasingly on how we can help improve cities' accessibility, mobility and liveability. Parking is central to mod- ern mobility and a vital component in addressing the challenges we face today. Consider, for instance, the provision of EV charging solutions, where, at a time of increasing grid congestion, parking infra- structure can play a role in local energy storage, whilst also functioning as mobility hubs to facilitate shared mobility and refined logistics services. Inte- grating these new functions requires attention and involves various areas – from policy and regulation to implementation. Within our sector, we all deal with these develop- ments on a daily basis and contribute to new solu- tions and projects. At EPA, we believe it is important to support our members in this regard by facilitat- ing the exchange of knowledge and developments, and by maintaining close engagement with Europe- an and national legislation affecting our sector. It is worth noting that this is one of the reasons we are involved in the EU-funded DISCO and GOLIA pro- jects (see page 28). Peter Dingemans, EPA Vice President Currently, EPA facilitates working groups in the fields of electromobility, digitalisation and data, cross-border enforcement, communications and women in parking. On our website1, you will find more information about our working groups and you can decide which ones are relevant to you (pro- vided you are an EPA member of course). I hereby warmly invite you to participate in one or more of these working groups on behalf of your organisa- tion. Another emerging area EPA is focusing on is inte- grating military preparedness considerations into parking infrastructures. Given the current turbulent times, this topic is more relevant than ever, with underground car parks potentially playing a vital role. Parking is therefore becoming more relevant than ever before! All that remains now is for me to wish you an en- joyable read and lots of inspiration as you explore this edition of PTI. Peter Dingemans EPA Vice President VEXPAN Vice President EPA Electromobility WG Chair Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 3 1See https://europeanparking.eu/working-groups/
CONTENTS Business News Lead Story EPA Parking Day(s) at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026: “Open the Silos!” European Women in Parking (E-WiP): Fast-Growing Network with Strong Momentum Intertraffic Awards 2026: Green Globe Award for Bicycle Parking-Lift Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026: Strong Emphasis On Parking 10 15 16 17 Deep Dive with Arrive: Eye-Tracking-Glasses for Customer-Friendly Designs 22 Interview with PayByPhone: “Technology is Evolving Rapidly” 10 6–9 EPA News “Proud Member of EPA”: Corporate Members – Join Us! List: Corporate Members of EPA New Corporate Member Portraits EPA Is One of Over 20 Partners: Cities at the Core of the EU-funded GOLIA Project Standardising the Future of Parking: EPA at the Forefront of the EAVP Initiative EPA Manifesto 2025–2030: 5 Policy Priorities APDS Essentials Training: Building the Data Foundations for AI in Mobility and Parking 23 Update on the EPA Policy & Strategy Committee: Why Quality Standards Define the Future of Parking Best Practice Vienna Airport: Sustainability Award for New Car Rental Centre 24 24 26 28 30 31 32 33 36 4 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
CONTENTS ) 2 ( h u R o k r a M , ) 2 ( c i f f a r t r e t n I : s o t o h p e l t i T Huber Parking: ESPA Off-Street Gold Award for Car Park Project in Saarbrücken MSR-Traffic: Affordable and Efficient Parking Guidance System BookFlowGo: Newcastle Airport Cut Queues Using Parking Tech Parksphere: How Jönköping Automated its Parking Permits noviniti: New Multi-Storey Car Park at Royal Derby Hospital to Resolve Congestion Issues Innovative Products Bosch Service Solutions: Truck Parking in the Eifel Region Relies on Digital Parking Parkopedia/Hyundai AutoEver: Europe’s First In-Car Indoor Navigation WÖHR: American Embassy in Oslo – Modernisation with an Innovative Parking Solution 38 39 40 40 41 42 43 Background SKIDATA Belgium: Parking Management at Park & Ride sites Eclipse Foundation/VDA: Innovation in the Automotive Sector Through Open Collaboration International Solutions Portier: Parking Guidance for Garage in Central Stockholm HUB Italia: Seamless Parking for Monte Pratello Cableway Facilities Lödige Industries: Automated Parking System for the “De Sax” Project in Rotterdam Prospects 17th ITS European Congress 27–29 April 2026 in Istanbul 44 Calendar: International Parking Events HUB Parking Technology: Multi-Purpose Kiosk Imprint 45 46 47 48 48 49 50 51 51 16 17 38 44 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 5
BUSINESS NEWS Partnership: PayByPhone and Goldbeck Parking Services P ayByPhone and Goldbeck Parking Services are entering into a partnership to introduce automated parking systems in Germa- ny and Austria. The global provider of mobile payment solutions for parking and the Goldbeck subsidiary are launching their cooperation with the Frauengasse car park in Nuremberg, which has over 220 parking spaces. Over time, the collaboration will be extended to other Goldbeck Parking Services locations. The company currently operates 210 car parks in Germany and Austria. The aim of the partnership is to make parking and paying parking fees easier for motorists. Around 100 Goldbeck Parking Services car parks are already equipped with ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems. Customers can pay cashless in participating car parks using the AutoPay function from PayByPhone. Marilena Lichtenauer, Commercial Director at PayByPhone Deutschland GmbH, says: “This project shows how digital innovation is changing urban spaces. AutoPay not only makes parking more con- venient, but also part of a connected, smart mobility experience. We want every journey and every parking space to be as effortless as possible for our users – that is our vision of modern parking.” Gregor Hensel, Managing Director of Goldbeck Parking Services ParkHelp Acquires Cleverciti P arkHelp, global leader in parking guidance solutions from the U.S., announced the acquisition of Cleverciti Systems GmbH, i t i c r e v e l C © On-street parking guidance system by Cleverciti. e n o h P y B y a P © (Symbolic image) PayByPhone is digitising parking together with Goldbeck Parking Services in the Frauengasse car park GmbH, adds: “At Goldbeck Parking Services, we understand mobility as a holistic system. The cooperation with PayByPhone underlines our commitment to being connected, convenient, and future-orient- ■ ed.” German provider of AI-powered curb management, on-street park- ing guidance, and guided enforcement solutions. “Cleverciti brings world-class AI, data intelligence, and sensor technology to the ParkHelp ecosystem,” said ParkHelp’s CEO Pooji- tha Preena. “Together, we’re the only global provider able to manage every parking space—on-street or off-street, indoor or outdoor— from one unified, cloud-based platform.” “For years, operators have had to piece together fragmented parking technologies,” said Cleverciti CEO David Parker. “Now, with our unified Portal, they can have a single source of truth for all occu- pancy, curbside activity, payments, and enforcement data.” This strategic acquisition marks a major milestone in ParkHelp’s 20-year history of innovation and positions the company as the go-to global provider for cities, airports, shopping malls, universities, and parking operators seeking a unified, intelligent parking and curbside management solution. With a combined direct presence in six countries—the United States, Germany, Spain, Brazil, New Zealand, and Ecuador—and a global net- work of certified distributors, the group now supports over 600,000 monitored parking spaces across over 700 locations in 50 countries. Munich-based Cleverciti becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of ParkHelp and the entire Cleverciti team will remain in place following the acquisition. Cleverciti was advised by TrueNorth Capital Partners and DLA Piper. ParkHelp was advised by Lupp+Partner. ■ 6 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
BUSINESS NEWS Reopening of the Historic Astoria Garage in Vienna T he ALPINA Parking group, which op- erates in Austria and Germany, took over the running of the historic Asto- ria car park, built in 1918 in Vienna's Josef- stadt district. Following the closure in July 2024, operations commenced for the Christ- mas season 2025. The building, which was converted into a tower car park with 442 parking spaces in the 1930s, is one of Vien- na’s first daylight car parks and one of the largest and oldest of its kind in Europe. Initially, around 300 parking spaces were provided, as announced by the new owner, Jürgen Hesz. The management contract ne- gotiated between Meta Astoria Garagen Gm- bH and the Vienna-based operating compa- ny Alpina Parking GmbH provides for a long- term term. “In the future, we would like to offer all our customers modern, convenient parking in a historic setting, providing a little luxury in their everyday lives,” says Maximilian Bichlmaier, the Vienna-born CEO of ALPINA Parking. The car park operator also plans to reactivate the remaining 100 parking spaces in the building over time. In the long term, the plan is to switch to fully digitalised operation with modern pay stations and automatic number plate recog- nition. The new parking technology is being supplied by the established system provider Arivo from Graz. ■ Your gateway to digital parking. Invest once. Stay future-proof. One of the largest touch displays on the market for maximum user- friendliness Highest level of vandalism protection thanks to IK10 impact resistance VdS-certified technology in all versions up to protection class P4 Quality „Made in Germany“ Comprehensive, user-friendly cloud software with absolute tariff control Cost-effective card payment pro- cessing by supporting national card systems Vienna’s historic Astoria Garage is back in operation. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 7 www.hectronic.com Do not hesitate to contact us: Hectronic GmbH | Allmendstrasse 15 D-79848 Bonndorf | Tel. +49 7703 9388-0 mail@hectronic.com i g n k r a P A N P L A © I
BUSINESS NEWS Peuka Cooperates With Designa and ParkBee A t the beginning of the year, Peuka an- nounced two new collaborations. The mobility platform, founded in 2022, entered into a strategic partnership with Designa to become part of the Designa PARKETPLACE ecosystem. The integration of Peuka will en- able existing parking systems to be seam- lessly connected to the Peuka app. This will create new digital revenue potential for op- erators. According to its own information, Peuka, as a ‘mobile parking solution’, currently provides access to more than 1,600 off-street parking locations in Germany. Drivers can use the app to search for, reserve and use parking spaces. This reduces traffic caused by searching for parking spaces and contributes to more sustainable urban mobility. Christopher Gruber, founder and CEO of Peuka, says: “Our partnership with Designa (from left) Christian Grzona (CDO Designa), Malte Wussow (founder and CEO Peuka), Florian Leiber (CTO Designa), Christopher Gruber (founder and CEO Peuka) is a big step forward in our mission to make parking smarter and more accessible. By joining Designa PARKETPLACE, we can offer our users an even larger network of parking options and enable an even more seamless digital parking experience.” Christian Grzona, formerly Chief Digital Officer and new CEO at Designa, adds: “We are delighted to welcome Peuka to Designa PARKETPLACE. Together, we are creating an open digital ecosystem that connects park- ing operators, mobility apps and drivers.” Peuka and ParkBee The mobility platform also announced a strategic partnership with ParkBee. For the start-up, this marks its first international ex- pansion since the company was founded. This collaboration gives Peuka access to over 1,600 additional locations in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United King- dom. ParkBee specialises in making under- used parking spaces, such as hotel garages in the evenings or company car parks at ■ weekends, digitally accessible. a n g i s e D © Lightyear Capital Acquires PayByPhone L ightyear Capital is to become the new owner of PayByPhone, ac- cording to an announcement by the New York-based private eq- uity firm. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. yPhone’s growth, both through organic development and acquisi- tions, while continuing to deliver real value to customers.” ■ PayByPhone is an international provider of digital parking and payment solutions via centralised parking management software. According to the company, more than 1,300 customers worldwide use its services. Lightyear’s investment in PayByPhone is intended to drive continuous product innovation to meet the needs of a growing customer base. According to the new owners, PayByPhone will con- tinue to operate as an independent company. Jonny Combe, President and CEO of PayByPhone, says: “This is an extremely exciting opportunity for PayByPhone. Lightyear has ex- tensive experience in fintech and payment solutions.” Michal Petrzela, partner at Lightyear, adds: “Jonny and the PayBy- Phone management team have built a strong company in a market with significant potential. We look forward to leveraging our exten- sive expertise in software and payment solutions to accelerate PayB- (from left) Mark Vassallo (Managing Partner, Lightyear), Jonny Combe (CEO, PayByPhone), Michal Petrzela (Partner, Lightyear) 8 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 l a t i p a C r a e y t h g i L / y h p a r g o t o h P e e r u o Y e n h p a D ©
BUSINESS NEWS P eople in Parking Christian Grzona Quentin Houet Christian Grzona has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the DESIGNA Group with effect from 1 March 2026. As a former CDO and long-standing expert in the parking and mobility industry, he will be re- sponsible for driving the company’s digital transformation and global growth. Christian’s professional journey with Designa began in 2007, where he started his career in sales be- fore gaining extensive leadership experience across the global parking market. After more than a decade working internationally within the industry, he returned to Designa in Octo- ber 2023 as Chief Digital Officer. On 1 December 2025, Quentin Houet took over as head of Hectronic France. With his technical expertise and international experi- ence, he is responsible for further expanding the company’s market presence in France in the areas of charging, parking and refuelling. Houet succeeds the previous managing di- rector, Maxime Autran. Unity5, provider of parking and enforce- ment software to local authorities in the UK, has appointed Nicolina Cooper as manag- ing director for the public sector. Nicolina joins the senior leadership team. The ap- pointment is the cornerstone of a strategy following the 2025 acquisition of Chipside. “Nicolina is a specialist who has spent years on the frontline of local government. She understands the pressure of managing ser- vices in the public realm because she has done it herself at the highest level,” says Mark Wilson, CEO of Unity5. Juice Technology, manufacturer of charg- ing stations for electric vehicles, announced that Urs von Känel, Head of Test Centre and Approvals, has been chairing Electrosui- sse’s Technical Committee 69 (TK 69) since the beginning of 2026. The committee devel- ops standards for electrical systems in elec- tric road vehicles, thereby laying the founda- tions for safe and reliable charging and plays a key role in the new and further develop- ment of the international IEC 61851 series of standards. Von Känel has many years of ex- perience in standardisation, testing and cer- tification. For many years, he held manage- ment positions at Electrosuisse and Eurofins Electrosuisse Product Testing AG. At the end of 2021, he moved into the electromobility industry at Juice Technology. ■ Nicolina Cooper Urs von Känel €35 Million EIB Financing to Expand Ultra-Fast EV Charging C entral and Eastern European countries are to gain hundreds of ancient trade routes known as the Amber Road that connected the Baltic and Adriatic coasts. The project will allow cross-border drivers to use a single app for fast charging along the whole network. ■ new electric-vehicle charging stations as a result of a €35 million loan that network operator Eleport is receiving from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Eleport announced it will use the EIB credit to deploy more than 250 fast-charging hubs at major shopping and commercial centres in Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Each station will feature as many as twelve charging plugs with power of up to 400 kilowatts (kW) per plug, enabling drivers to charge quickly while they go about their everyday activities. Eleport, a rap- idly expanding startup based in the Estonian capital Tallinn and al- ready active in Central and Eastern Europe, plans to complete the project by 2028. Eleport already operates more than 400 fast charging points (DCs) in six countries–Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Croa- tia and is building an “Electric Amber Road”, a network inspired by the Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 Eleport to deploy more than 250 fast-charging hubs with the help of an EIB credit. k c o t s r e t t u h S © 9
LEAD STORY EPA Parking Day Session: Packed main theatre at the Intertraffic Summit EPA Parking Day(s) at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026 “Open the Silos!” Text : Joanne Sutcliffe (EPA Communications Manager), Marko Ruh (PTI Editor) / Photos: Marko Ruh The European Parking Association (EPA) hosted its EPA Parking Day at Intertraffic Amsterdam on March 10–11, 2026, bringing together industry leaders, city represent- atives and mobility experts to discuss key developments shaping the future of urban mobility and parking. A key insight was the opening of previously siloed business areas to form a shared, data-driven mobility ecosystem. EPA at Intertraffic 2026 The EPA program in Amsterdam this year included three themed sessions at the Intertraffic Summit (more in this article), two European Women in Parking (E-WiP) events (see page 15), a members’ networking lunch and an EPA Board meeting with representatives from close to 20 national parking associations (EPA Full Members). T he first of three EPA Parking Day ses- sions, “Managing Urban Space for Sustainable Mobility and Logistics” took place in the afternoon of March 10. The discussion explored how cities can better organise increasingly complex urban envi- ronments to support more sustainable and efficient mobility systems. First Session: Urban Space Management The session featured Paola Cossu (FIT Con- sulting / ALICE / EPA Honorary Member) and Laurence Bannerman (AIPARK / EPA Expert), 10 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY ed”. The APDS initiative launched by EPA en- ables digital communication in a common ‘language’. According to Bannerman, anoth- er approach to better reallocation is the “multi-use of space”. He provided impressive current examples of this from major opera- tors such as APCOA, Indigo and Q-Park. Second Session: Traffic Meets Park- ing Management On Wednesday, March 11, EPA Parking Day continued with the session “Where Traffic Management Meets Parking Management: An Integrated Approach”. The discussion ad- dressed a key challenge in urban mobility: traffic and parking are often managed sepa- rately, even though they shape the same ur- ban environment and mobility experience. Moderated by Theo Thuis, EPA President (MD Innovation, Q-Park), the session high- lighted the growing pressure on cities to manage their limited urban space. With ris- ing populations, access regulations, charg- ing schemes and evolving mobility patterns, the amount of available road and parking space has not increased. Thuis highlighted the potential role of national parking regis- ters or platforms in helping cities manage access rights and parking permissions more effectively. “If we think that something can change, the only way we can do it is together.” Paola Cossu, FIT Consulting / ALICE / EPA Honorary Member The EU-funded DISCO project was presented as an important step toward developing a European freight data space that enables stakeholders to share essential information while maintaining control over sensitive da- ta. At present, only 20 per cent of European cities have a strategic approach to urban lo- gistics, Cossu pointed out, emphasising the importance of data sharing. DISCO is the first European project to make this possible, in cooperation with EPA and POLIS, an alliance of European cities. As she noted, together “we should start thinking big in a systemic way”. Laurence Bannerman highlighted the role of the parking sector in supporting more ef- fective kerbside management and coordi- nated urban planning. He also referred to in- sights from another EU-funded project in which EPA is a partner, GOLIA (see page 28), which explores new governance models for sustainable urban mobility and logistics. He also endorsed Cossu’s call, which he de- scribed as the “necessity of being connect- c i f f a r t r e t n I © “Parking management is fundamentally about managing urban space.” Theo Thuis, EPA President “The parking sector should have a key role.” Laurence Bannerman, AIPARK / EPA Expert Speakers Opening Statements Speakers from cities, industry and mobility organisations shared their perspectives. Ta- mara Djukic (TM2.0 / ERTICO) mentioned the growing role of digital systems in mobility management. “Cities are moving towards digital access control,” she said, stressing the ➜ and was moderated by Dr. Giuliano Mingar- do (Erasmus UPT, Rotterdam University and member of the EPA Scientific Committee). In his introduction, Mingardo said: “Pressure on urban space becomes bigger and bigger. Space is very scarce.” One solution could lie in collaboration between urban transport planners and car park operators. “Two worlds are coming together,” said the re- searcher, describing this scenario, which was embodied by the two speakers. Fittingly, they highlighted the importance of collaboration between retailers, service providers, local authorities and mobility op- erators to share data, infrastructure and re- sources, helping cities optimise delivery routes, vehicle loads and kerbside use. EU-Funded DISCO Project Paola Cossu emphasised the importance of strengthening cities’ planning capacity and making better use of existing mobility data. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 11
LEAD STORY Participants of the 2nd session (from left to right): Tamara Djukic (ERTICO), Willem van Heijningen (City of Amsterdam), Daniel Sevenhans (Digipolis), Michael Koufopoulos (Yunex Traffic), Bart Lannoo (Be-Mobile) ➜ need for greater harmonisation of industry policies. City Perspectives From a city perspective, Willem van Heijnin- gen (City of Amsterdam) explained how Am- sterdam is adapting mobility policies to a growing population and limited urban space, prioritising active travel and public transport, while ensuring commensurate parking man- agement policies. This new parking strategy involves, among other things, repurposing on-street parking by reducing the number of parking spaces whilst allocating more space in car parks, including private garages. How- ever, consideration must still be given to those who rely on their cars. The overarching goal: “We need more green spaces in the city,” said van Heijningen. Daniel Sevenhans (City of Antwerp) em- phasised the need for cities to join up their data sources and to take stronger control of their urban access systems. “Cities need to get control over what is happening in their streets,” he warned. He spoke about a pro- ject called Citerra, a data platform for all towns and cities in the Flanders region. The regional nature of the initiative makes it more effective, Sevenhans explained. Industry Perspectives Industry perspectives from Michael Koufo- poulos (Yunex Traffic, EPA Bronze Member) and Bart Lannoo (Be-Mobile, EPA Bronze Member) highlighted how digital tools, ac- cess management systems and mobility rights platforms can support more coordi- nated traffic and parking management. Koufopoulos noted that access policies are becoming increasingly complex: “It is no longer black and white.” He also noted that “AI brings traffic enforcement together with parking management”. Lannoo added that measures such as dynamic pricing, parking guidance systems and traffic management via apps can optimise mobility in cities. The session concluded with a discussion led by Olivier Asselin (Lille Metropole and Chairman of the POLIS Parking Working Group) on pricing transparency and digital parking services. Theo Thuis emphasised that “cities are always in control of their tar- iffs,” while participants agreed that greater transparency and clearer governance of dy- namic tariffs and digital platforms will be es- sential as cities introduce more advanced access management systems. As Tamara Djukic concluded, “transparency will be one of the key issues cities need to focus on go- ing forward”. Third Session: AI in Mobility and Parking The final session focused on “AI in Mobility and Parking,” one of the most discussed top- ics in the sector, resulting in a packed main theatre at the Intertraffic Summit. Moderat- ed by Dr. Mark Friesen (Quinta Consulting, one of the newest EPA Bronze Members), the session reflected growing interest in how ar- tificial intelligence is reshaping parking and mobility systems, with a focus on several use cases at different levels of maturity. Friesen The 2nd session concluded with a discussion led by Olivier Asselin, Lille Metropole and chairman of the POLIS Parking Working Group. “Parking is already a data-driven industry.” Dr. Mark Friesen, Quinta Consulting 12 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY The speakers from the 3rd session (from left to right): Thomas Pühringer (SKIDATA), Manu Bhargava (Valeo), Thorsten Schmitt (BMW), Duncan Licence (Arrive), Anthony Cashel (PayByPhone) noted that parking is already a data-driven industry, but many organisations are still at an early stage of AI adoption. A recent indus- try survey showed that around 40 per cent of organisations are not yet using AI, while rev- enue optimisation is currently the leading use case. Several speakers explored how AI could improve the parking experience for both cit- ies and drivers. Duncan Licence (Arrive, EPA Platinum Member) described how AI can help all drivers “park like a local,” using real- time data to guide motorists to suitable parking options and reduce the time spent searching for spaces. “Finding parking is the biggest driver pain point out there right now,” he said. In order to make cities more livable, he concluded his remarks by calling for “Open the silos!” Automotive Perspective From the automotive perspective, Manu Bhargava (Valeo, EPA Gold Member) and Thorsten Schmitt (BMW) emphasised the need for open ecosystems linking vehicles and parking infrastructure to support further automation, underpinned by shared stand- ards such as APDS. Schmitt explained that he was representing the customers’ perspec- tive at this session and wanted to optimise convenience for drivers. To this end, the OEMs wish to collaborate with car park op- erators and their facilities. In this context, he identified three key tools: standardised in- terfaces based on APDS, neutral access points in national data spaces, and a stand- ardised format for car park maps. This is where Bhargava’s company comes in. They use sensors in vehicles to create maps of car parks. These crowdsourced maps are intended to serve as global building blocks. “New partners are welcome,” said Bhargava. He also noted that vehicle connec- tivity is expanding rapidly, predicting that nearly all vehicles will be connected by 2030. Parking Industry Expertise Insights from industry experts Thomas Püh- ringer (SKIDATA, EPA Gold Member) and An- thony Cashel (PayByPhone, EPA Silver Mem- ber) highlighted how technologies such as automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), connected vehicles and mobile payments are already transforming parking services. “The technology is there,” Pühringer said, adding that the challenge is ensuring these innovations deliver real value for cities and users. Of course, reality still differs from these visions. “These days it is hard to run mobility hubs profitably,” Pühringer admit- ted. “We have to move away from silos to connected ecosystems to create value.” Cashel added: “Digital services have re- moved friction from the cities.” But accord- ing to Cashel, a third of urban traffic is still Nigel Williams, EPA President Emeritus, took part in the interactive discussion between the audience and the panellists. EPA Executive Director Tom Antonissen presents a printed copy of the new EPA Manifesto 2025–2030 ➜ A P E © Panel discussion of the 3rd session’s speakers together with moderator Dr. Mark Friesen (left) Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 13
LEAD STORY EPA Parking Day networking lunch Following the Wednesday morning ses- sions, EPA members and invited part- ners gathered for a networking lunch in the privatised First Floor restaurant, where more than 120 participants exchanged ideas and reconnected with colleagues from across the sector. ➜ accounted for by people looking for a park- ing space. To address this issue, PayByPhone has teamed up with Upciti to develop AI- powered sensors that provide real-time oc- cupancy data to help optimise parking searches via the app. Research presented during the session suggested that guiding drivers directly to available parking spaces could save up to 35 minutes per trip, helping reduce congestion and unnecessary search traffic in cities. Future Visions for Parking Looking ahead, panelists shared their vision of how parking may evolve as vehicles be- come increasingly connected and automat- ed. Duncan Licence (Arrive) pointed out: “The last kilometre is the real problem.” This is where efforts should be focused to im- prove the customer experience. Thomas Pühringer (SKIDATA) sees the combination of on-street and off-street parking as key, de- scribing it as “very powerful”. According to the moderator, Dr. Friesen, the parking in- dustry remains fragmented and is still stuck in the silos mentioned earlier. At the end of the discussion, Thorsten Schmitt (BMW) remarked: “We all have the same customers.” Car manufacturers and the parking sector should therefore be work- ing towards the same goals. He suggested that “in the future, drivers may not need to think about parking at all.” ■ 14 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY European Women in Parking (E-WiP) Fast-Growing Network with Strong Momentum L aunched at the 21st European Parking Conference & Exhibition in Brussels last September, the initiative ‘European Women in Parking’ aims to strengthen connections across the sector and support greater diver- sity and leadership within the industry. As part of Intertraffic 2026, representa- tives from the network met for an in-person get-together. The program began on Tues- day, March 10, with an E-WiP presentation at the Designa Stage (an EPA Bronze Member), where Co-Chairs Giovanna Piras (Automatic Systems / EPA Board Member) and Yasmin Jefferies (British Parking Association) intro- duced the fast-growing network to a large audience. The initiative is gaining strong momentum, with nearly 80 members in the group and more than 350 recipients of its quarterly newsletter. A P E © E-WiP Co-Chairs on the Designa Stage (left) and E-WiP Networking Cocktail, sponsored by SKIDATA (right) The Co-Chairs highlighted early progress, in- cluding the launch of the E-WiP mentoring program, which already brings together 22 participants from across the parking and mobility sector. They also encouraged par- ticipants to join the network, noting that formal EPA membership is not required. Later that afternoon, around 40 participants gathered for the E-WiP networking cocktail, kindly sponsored by SKIDATA (EPA Gold Member). The events highlighted the strength and impact of the E-WiP community and its role in fostering connections, visibili- ty and leadership across the sector. ■ Perfection for your car park Fast, quiet, reliable, and secure – our spe- cialized doors for car parks impress with their versatility and flexibility. With their individual features, such as compact dimen- sions for cramped installation conditions or burglar-resistant equipment, the different door types can be adapted to the respective circumstances. For more information visit: www.efaflex.com/car-parks Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 15
LEAD STORY Intertraffic Awards 2026 Green Globe Award for Bicycle Parking-Lift The winners of the prestigious Intertraffic Awards 2026 have been announced at the opening ceremony of Intertraffic Amsterdam, with three groundbreaking innovations claiming the top honours across the Green Globe, Inspiration and User Experience categories. T he new ITSUP Startup Award and a Special Jury Mention completed the event’s recognitions. The Intertraffic Awards Jury is led by its chairman Pieter Litjens, director of CROW, a Dutch mobility consultancy. Litjens reflected that this year's selection process was made particularly com- pelling both by the rich mix of solution types as well as the passion that lay behind all of the nominations that made it to the final 15 – all of whom had presented their solutions to the panel across an entire day at the RAI exhibi- tion centre, ahead of Intertraffic Amsterdam. “It was great to see the combination of innovation, heartfelt presentations, and the inspiring nature of the people who are be- hind them,” says Litjens. “There are people behind each of these innovations who are inventing and making them. And they’re not only making them to make profit or to sell something. They are making these solutions because they believe in better, safer traffic, or a better world, or a sustainable surround- ing. That’s what I like most.” Winners of the Intertraffic Awards 2026 growth of e-bikes across European cities. Conventional double-tier bicycle parking systems were designed for lightweight bicy- cles and are now significantly underused – research suggests upper tiers see as little as 20 per cent utilisation – because e-bikes, which average around 30kg, are simply too heavy for most riders to lift. The ‘Parking Winners’ in Depth MB Air addresses a fundamental infrastruc- ture challenge created by the explosive MB Air eliminates the physical effort en- tirely through a horizontally-moving, com- pressed-air-powered lift mechanism, mak- c i f f a r t r e t n I © ing upper-tier parking accessible to all users including older riders and those with child seats. The system received its CE certifica- tion in time for its public launch at Intertraf- fic Amsterdam. The jury was struck by the real-world simplicity of the solution and its potential across European cities facing acute cycle parking pressures, as well as its modu- lar deployment possibilities and virtually ■ maintenance-free design. The Intertraffic Awards 2026 Jury • Pieter Litjens, Director of CROW (Chairman) • Margriet van Schijndel, Programme Director, Responsible Mobility, TU/e • Jorrit Weerman, Founder and CEO, Parking Network • Adam Hill, Editor, ITS International • Tom Stone, Editor, TTi and Intertraffic World Categories & Winners ■ The Green Globe Award – recognising environmental sustainability – was claimed by MB Air by HR Groep Streetcare, the world's first CE-certified compressed-air bicycle parking-lift system. ■ The Inspiration Award went to Deltabloc TAM Technology by Deltabloc Inter- national, a revolutionary fibre optic sensing platform capable of monitoring traffic across 50 kilometres of road in real time. ■ The User Experience Award was awarded to TLEX Interchange by Monotch, a cloud-native engine for seamlessly setting up real-time, low-latency mobility data exchange. ■ Luxene claimed the ITSUP Startup Award for its innovative laser-driven, fibre- optic road-marking system. ■ A Special Jury Mention was given to NavTac Temporary Tactile Guidance Films by Brite-Line. 16 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY 6 2 0 2 m a d r e t s m A c i f f a r t r e t n I © Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026 Strong Emphasis On Parking Founded in 1972, Intertraffic Amsterdam is regarded as the world’s leading event for professionals in the mobility and transport technology sectors. With 879 exhibitors across 12 halls, the 2026 edition surpassed all previous events. According to the organis- ers, almost 30,000 professionals and representatives from cities and regions across 136 countries visited the RAI Exhibition Centre in the Dutch capital from 10 to 13 March 2026. A lmost all exhibitors from the parking sector had their stands in the fully booked hall 12. Walking through the “Parking Hall”, it became clear – just as it was two years ago – that digital technology is the dominant theme in the industry. When it comes to presenting products and services, display devices are playing an increasingly important role as the interface to the cus- tomer. In this respect, it is no coincidence that a market leader such as Arrive is focus- ing intensively on the design of displays and posters. Read more in our feature on page 22. Ultimately, people must be able to intui- tively grasp what is on offer in their mobility environment and how it works. A stand where ‘real’ barriers were still shown seemed almost exotic – even though Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 879 exhibitors 125 exhibitors from the parking sector, most of them in hall 12 30,000 visitors from 136 countries k c o t s r e t t u h S : s n o c I ➜© 17
LEAD STORY ➜ parking will never function entirely indepen- dently of physical infrastructure. This also means making the customer journey – in the truest sense of the word, namely inside the vehicle – as comfortable and efficient as pos- sible. Parking guidance systems assist with this both outdoors and in multi-storey car parks. PayByPhone has presented a new so- lution for this, which we discussed with Chief Operating Officer Anthony Cashel (see page 23). The more digital technology assists cus- tomers and makes the once-tedious task of parking easier, the more successful its pro- viders will become. However, one thing be- came very clear in Amsterdam: hardly any company can survive on its own anymore. Just as vehicles are becoming increasingly connected, so too is the surrounding trans- port infrastructure. It can only be achieved through platforms, data exchange via com- mon standards and open interfaces. Intertraffic Summit Programme Among the highlights of Intertraffic 2026, alongside the trade exhibition, were more than 300 talks, presentations and work- shops as part of the Intertraffic Summit pro- gramme, which took place in three large theatres and on four open-air stages within the exhibition area. It was the most exten- ➜ EPA Bronze Member DESIGNA at the entrance of Hall 12 EPA Gold Member SKIDATA with a crowded booth at the entrance of Hall 2 EPA Platinum Member Arrive at the entrance of Hall 12 EPA Bronze Member Hectronic was also located in the front row of Hall 12 18 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY Be-Mobile, EPA Bronze Member RTB stand as a nod to the world of film Intertraffic Amsterdam is a global event with a very international audience. Alongside all the various digital solutions, there were also barriers on display. Booth of EPA Bronze Member Orbility In-depth technical discussions were a key feature of the event at Intertraffic, as seen here at the Nagels stand. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 19
LEAD STORY ➜ sive summit programme to date, said the organizers. The expert sessions aimed to improve traffic flow, enhance road safety, promote sustainability and improve the quality of life in and around cities, whilst at the same time creating smoother multi- modal transport options for travellers. A major draw for visitors were the EPA Parking Day(s), featuring a total of three sessions fo- cusing on the integration of parking and traffic management, as well as AI in mobility and parking (see pages 10–14). focused on tackling persistent challenges such as congestion, road safety, climate im- pact and infrastructure strain. In Hall 5, the three impressive Summit theatres and a spacious networking area of- fered a good setting to connect with speak- ers and peers. The programme featured a dynamic mix of pitches, interactive sessions, panel discussions, workshops and debates New Open Parking Stage Programme This edition of the Summit programme placed a strong emphasis on parking, ex- ploring current trends and key challenges. Intertraffic 2026 EXHIBITOR STATEMENTS Sascha Schiele, Director Sales Parking & Charging Solutions, Hectronic Our new payment solutions – from Wero to QR payments – struck a chord at Intertraffic. The market is sending a clear signal: simple, hassle-free payments are in greater de- mand than ever. But the key factor is scalability. With our Data Hub, we consolidate complex processes – from scan cars to ANPR – into a central ecosystem. In doing so, we provide the technological answer to the growing demand for truly integrated and data-driven parking management.” Insa Nagels, Managing Director, Nagels Druck GmbH At Intertraffic 2026, we presented practical solutions for today’s parking industry, ranging from our classic range of parking tickets to GripTag, a functional identification solution. Under the motto “No Ticket, no Problem”, visitors were able to discover both product ranges using real samples right there on the spot and experience them first-hand. The feedback was consistently positive. The opportunity to test products on the spot, as well as the open, practical discussions with our team, were particularly appreciated. Our conclusion: Physical solutions remain a central component of the industry – especially when they are intelligently integrated into digital systems.” Benedikt Hildmann, Sales Manager, RTB GmbH & Co. KG Intertraffic 2026 was the perfect opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with suppliers, part- ners and prospective clients. This is precisely where we at RTB GmbH & Co. KG see our greatest strength: in demonstrating, through direct contact, our professionalism, our understanding of suppli- ers, partners and customers, and our company’s reliability when it comes to collaborative partner- ships. Our philosophy of developing, manufacturing and distributing our own products and installing them with our own team was met with great interest during the discussions: alongside modern display solutions, we were able to showcase our individual parking space sensors, but above all celebrate the launch of our latest parking ticket machine model featuring a large touchscreen display. The positive feedback and the high footfall at our stand allow us to draw a thoroughly positive conclusion, and we are already looking forward to the next Intertraffic in 2028.” 20 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY Next to the EPA Parking Day(s) on the main Summit Stage, the Parking Stage programme in Hall 12, put together by Parking Network, featured presentations and panel discus- sions from leading companies including Sur- vision, ARRIVE, Billogram, INDECT, Amano, Arvoo, Skidata, and Circontrol. Topics cov- ered ranged from smart parking enforce- ment, traveller convenience, and free-flow parking, to data insights for operators, inno- vative payment systems, integrated parking platforms, and smart kerbside management strategies. Highlights included the trans- formative potential of dynamic license plate data for parking enforcement, human-cen- tred parking solutions, and leveraging park- ing data to improve user experiences and generate revenue. Other key themes ad- dressed smart tariffs, payment infrastruc- ture, and the role of urban mobility hubs for off-street parking, demonstrating how smart parking solutions contribute to more effi- cient and accessible cities and become an essential part of the mobility ecosystem. ■ Heidi Wildemann, Managing Director Germany, Arrive It was my first Intertraffic, and I’m truly thrilled! Not only by the inspiration the event provided, but also by the open conversations with our customers and partners, as well as the positive re- sponse to our Arrive booth. In every conversation, it became clear just how great the need is for solu- tions that make cities not only more digital but also more livable. Our new solution, ‘Arrive Pulse,’ was particularly well-received. In this platform solution, we will in- tegrate mobility and parking data from various sources in real time and translate it into actionable rec- ommendations for urban planning. Even though we’re still busy testing it, the high level of interest was important feedback for us. It confirmed that Arrive is strategically on the right track. My takeaway: an intense and fantastic week—I’m already looking forward to the next one!” Willem-Jan Balk, Head of Parking & Mobility, SKIDATA At Intertraffic, we brought our vision of Urban Flow to life – a city where people, data and traffic interconnect seamlessly. In the parking sector, this means a fully digital, connected ecosystem that goes far beyond traditional parking. Among other things, we presented seamless, ticketless access solutions and integrated payment processes, as well as concepts centred on mobility hubs that intelli- gently link parking with other modes of transport. This was complemented by forward-looking innova- tions such as a prototype for an in-car dashboard that enables a seamless city journey, as well as an AI- powered chatbot that provides operators with data-driven analytics to make informed decisions and manage their processes even more successfully. The response was consistently very positive. We saw that our Urban Flow approach reflects exactly the direction in which the industry is developing: towards integrated, data-driven and user-centred mobility solutions. The combination of practical solutions already available today and ideas for future developments has sparked numerous high-quality discussions with cities, operators, airports and oth- er partners who wish to further develop their mobility offerings in a targeted manner. With our motto and clear focus on the urban context, we have struck a chord with the spirit of the times. It sums up precisely what the industry is currently working on. SKIDATA is ideally positioned to support its customers in tackling these challenges – and to further develop parking into a seamless, in- telligent component of holistic mobility.” Christian Grzona, CEO Designa At Intertraffic in Amsterdam this year, we showcased our four main pillars: a rock-solid PARCS for TICKETLESS and FREEFLOW, the Designa WEBSHOP covering all relevant digital sales chan- nels as a white-label application, the Designa PARKETPLACE, and the agnostic Designa CONTROL CENTER MODULE for the centralized management of large-scale parking operations. On our Designa Stage, numerous speakers shared their project experiences and insights within the mobility ecosys- tem. Overall, we are very pleased with the event and delighted by the enthusiastic response.” Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 21
LEAD STORY Deep Dive with Arrive Eye-Tracking-Glasses for Customer-Friendly Designs At Intertraffic Amsterdam, Arrive – a leading global mobility platform – presented, amongst other things, a new market research tool: eye-tracking glasses. Heidi Wildemann, Managing Director for Germany, and Magnus Gustafsson, Senior Manager of Research and Advisory, demonstrated how they work live. Arrive’s app for paid parking EasyPark is widespread. According to Heidi Wil- demann, Managing Director Germa- ny, it is available in over 800 towns and cities across Germany. To put that figure into per- spective: Officially, there are just over 2,000 municipalities with municipal status in Ger- many, though some of these have only a few hundred inhabitants. There are 80 German cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. According to Wildemann, against this backdrop, the key challenge has shifted from market expansion to increasing acceptance and frequency of use. Unlike e-commerce platforms, the acceptance of mobile parking solutions depends heavily on physical touchpoints, says the Managing Director. Us- ers typically encounter the service at car parks, often under time pressure and with- out prior knowledge of it. “This makes com- munication, signage and the situational con- text decisive factors influencing behaviour,” says Wildemann. So, the moment of interac- tion at the car park becomes the decisive point of conversion. Evidence-Based Optimisation To better understand and optimise this inter- action, the company has recently begun us- ing eye-tracking technology in real-world environments, which Arrive first unveiled in Amsterdam. Test participants wear special glasses that record gaze patterns, fixation duration and reading order when viewing car park signage. This allows researchers to analyse which elements attract attention, how information is processed and whether key messages are conveyed effectively. The collected data is summarised into heatmaps and behavioural models, enabling evidence- based optimisation of the placement and design of signs. Parking Trend Editor-in-Chief Marko Ruh was able to personally try on the specialist glass- es – costing several thousand euros – at the Arrive stand and experience the technology first-hand. To compensate for vision impair- ments in spectacle wearers, Magnus Gustafs- son, Senior Manager Research and Advisory, even had a suitable dioptre attachment to hand, which he could clip onto the high-tech lenses. Cameras built into the frames record eye movements and can precisely visualise where the test subject’s gaze is directed. This generates heatmaps that can be used, for example, to determine which areas of a poster or display are being focused on. Even the sequence of gazes was recorded as a film and subsequently traced. “I can now really appreciate how important the design of a display is for the user experience,” said Marko Ruh as he looked at the fascinating visualisations. Signage Has Significant Influence on Acceptance The results show that both the positioning and the clarity of signage have a significant influence on users’ perception and accept- ance of parking apps. “Well-designed signs can increase perceptibility by 150 to 350 per cent compared to poorly designed ones,” ex- plained Magnus Gustafsson. Factors such as the hierarchy of messages, reading flow and the surrounding context – e.g. road, car park, entrance, barrier – are crucial. At high-speed entry points, for example, only minimal and easily recognisable information can be pro- cessed, whilst more detailed instructions can be placed in slower or stationary con- texts. The study also reveals broader systemic challenges. Excessive or poorly coordinated signage, often attributable to fragmented lo- cal authority responsibilities, can over- whelm users and hinder the uptake of digital services. Data-driven insights based on eye- tracking glasses could help to develop better communication strategies and reduce cogni- tive load – even by measuring users’ stress levels during parking situations. By applying principles from digital user experience design to real-world contexts, Ar- rive aims to improve usability, increase ac- ceptance and support cities in promoting the digitalisation of urban mobility services, ■ Heidi Wildemann explained. Marko’s gaze fell on these parts of the poster (static and heatmap) Parking Trend Editor-in-Chief Marko Ruh with the eye-tracking-glasses at the Arrive booth e v i r r A © 22 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
LEAD STORY Interview with PayByPhone “Technology is Evolving Rapidly” Anthony Cashel, Chief Operating Officer at PayByPhone, was one of the speakers at the EPA Parking Day as part of the Intertraffic summit programme. Parking trend international met for an in-depth interview. How does PayByPhone stand out from its competitors? What is your unique selling point? I think we’re very customer-focused. So when we’re looking for solutions, we always try to work from the customer’s perspective. We have a global platform, so it doesn’t mat- ter whether you’re arriving in Miami, Paris or central London – you can use our app with- out having to download a different version or register again. This works completely seamlessly across all the markets where we operate. So we believe that gives us an ad- vantage, and we’re very focused on bringing new solutions to market as quickly as possi- ble to support customers on their journey. Anthony Cashel Do you focus exclusively on on-street parking? No, we also work with off-street parking providers, so we have rela- tionships with most of the major providers. But the decisions cities are making regarding pedestrian zones and similar issues mean that off-street parking is likely to increase, and I think that will be the fu- ture of parking – being able to create more capacity in a smaller space than on the street. Where are your main markets at the moment? North America, the UK, France, Germany and Switzerland. Where would you like to expand in Europe? We’re always open to new opportunities. I think certain markets are more developed than others, so it’s about looking for the right op- portunity. We don’t just want to be a logo on a sticker; we want to offer a product that makes a difference to consumers and provides real added value. For the customer, the more places there are where you offer your services, the more attractive you are, right? That’s exactly what we’re seeing: people want to use fewer apps. We can see from our data that when we expand – not even into new mar- kets, but into cities located near other cities – a network effect emerges and our acceptance grows. And are your partners the cities, private operators, or both? Both. It depends on the market and the situation. We’re currently working with the National Parking Platform in the UK, so we’ll be go- ing into all the cities where they start operat- ing. That’s a sort of bundling effect. But of course there are still individual contracts that are concluded separately outside of that. North America and France are very similar in terms of individual contracts. But I know, for example, that in markets such as the Netherlands – where we are not current- ly represented – there is a dedicated plat- form. So things may be different in such markets, but in the markets where we oper- ate, it still works on a city-by-city basis. Where do you run your business from? Our global headquarters is in Vancouver, but we also have local offices in the UK, France, Germany and Switzerland. h u R o k r a M © What is your impression of Intertraffic here? I think it was a fantastic event. I believe this is the fourth Intertraffic I’ve attended in my career in parking management so far. And I think it gets more interesting every year. Technology is evolving so rapidly. It’s such a dynamic event that, in my view, there’s probably more discussion than ever among operators about collaboration, integra- tion and open data standards, and I think it really shows how far the industry is coming in this regard – every time you come here, the standard rises. Do you agree that we are in an era of collaborations and joint ventures? Collaborations in various forms, I think. What has clearly emerged from today’s session (Editor’s note: EPA Parking Day) is that for a con- nected mobility ecosystem, a range of stakeholders must be in- volved. There must be mobile payment providers, there must be car park operators and hardware manufacturers. So I think it’s becoming increasingly necessary for us to work together to offer customers a fully connected solution. Because cities, operators and ultimately consumers are looking for something that’s more connected and seamless, and that requires everyone to work together. How is business going? It’s going brilliantly at the moment. We’ve had a really strong year and continue to grow strongly in the markets where we operate by launching new products. We’re at an exciting stage of our journey. Just last year, we developed a whole new app – a global app that’s fantastic and performing really well. ■ Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 23
EPA NEWS “Proud Member of EPA” Corporate Members – Join Us! The European Parking Association (EPA) has been leading the way in Europe’s parking sector since 1983! As an umbrella organization, EPA brings together national parking associations and corporate members. Corporate Members of EPA M U N I T A L P D L O G R E V L I S APCOA Group www.apcoa.com Arrive www.arrive.com/en INDIGO GROUP www.group-indigo.com Interparking www.interparking.com Q-Park www.q-park.com Best in Parking www.bestinparking.com Riverty ww.riverty.com SETEX APARKI www.gruposetex.es Skidata www.skidata.com VALEO www.valeo.com Autopay www.autopay.io/solutions Avantpark www.avantpark.de BSM https://bsmsa.cat/en Fondation des Parkings www.geneve-parking.ch/fr GOLDBECK Parking Services www.goldbeck-parking.de GreenFlux www.greenflux.com Marston Holdings https://marstonholdings.co.uk PayByPhone www.paybyphone.de Scheidt & Bachmann www.scheidt-bachmann.com Verra Mobility www.verramobility.com 24 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
EPA NEWS E PA’s primary goal is to foster cooperation between profession- al parking organizations across different European countries. By exchanging professional experience among its members, EPA helps to improve smart parking management and sustainable urban mobility across Europe whilst driving innovation and progress in the parking sector. Join us and see your logo included on the ’Cor- porate Members list’ in the next issue of Parking Trend International! We offer four options for Corporate Membership, each with different levels of benefits. For detailed information about the different catego- ries of Corporate Membership see: https://europeanparking.eu/membership-categories/ ACCS International www.accsinternational.com Amano www.amano.eu Arivo https://arivo.co Asteroidea Automatic Systems https://asteroidea.co www.automatic-systems.com Be-Mobile www.be-mobile.com Billogram www.billogram.com BOE Parking www.boe-parking.at CAME Parkare www.cameparkare.com City Park https://citypark.gr coeo Inkasso www.coeo-group.ai Commend www.commend.com DCBL – Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd. https://dcbltd.com Demondo www.demondo.com DESIGNA www.designa.com EFAFLEX www.efaflex.com Egis www.egis-group.com ETI Experts www.eti-experts.de FairParken www.fairparken.com FIFI4PARKING i www.fifi4parking.nl GreenPoint www.greenpoint-partners.com Hectronic GmbH www.hectronic.com Huber Parking https://huber-parking.com HUB Parking Technology www.hubparking.com Imperial Civil Enforcement Solutions www.imperial.co.uk E Z N O R B Infotrafic www.infotrafic.com Indigo Park Luxembourg www.group-indigo.com/fr/ Mobility46 www.mobility46.se/en Monit Data www.monitdata.com Nayax www.nayax.com Nordisk Profil GmbH www.nordisk-profil.de Orbility www.orbility.com Park.Aero https://agency.park.aero/en/ ParkDots s.r.o. www.parkdots.com Parking Matters Limited https://parkingmatters.com Parkster www.parkster.com ParkTrade www.parktrade.com Primevest www.primevestcp.com Projekt w www.projekt-w.de Quinta www.quinta-consulting.de/en Smart Parking Survision TKH Security www.smartparking.com www.survisiongroup.com https://tkhsecurity.com/ Wemolo GmbH www.wemolo.com Yespark www.yespark.fr Yunex Traffic www.yunextraffic.com Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 25
EPA NEWS | Corporate Member Portraits EPA SILVER MEMBER EV Charging Software for Commercial Parking at Scale Commercial parking operators across Europe are under growing pressure to scale EV charging, while managing grid constraints, complying with regulation (EPBD, AFIR), and meeting increas- ingly tight deployment timelines. The choices they make now about software and infrastructure will define their charging op- erations for years to come. GreenFlux is the EV charging management platform trusted by Europe's leading commercial parking operators. Q-Park, APCOA, and Interparking all rely on GreenFlux to manage, optimise, and scale their charging operations. With 15 years of experience in the EV charging market and a roaming network that has sur- passed one million charge points across 37 European countries, GreenFlux brings the technical depth and operational scale that complex parking environments require. A functionality especially valued by parking operators is mul- ti-level smart charging. Delivered via the cloud, it allows opera- tors to manage power across multiple floors and distribution points remotely, deploy faster without on-site hardware depend- encies, scale capacity as sites grow, and monitor all locations from a single platform. Beyond smart charging, GreenFlux supports parking opera- tors with flexible tariff management and integrated payments. For parking operators, visibility matters as much as reliability; thus, a charge point that cannot be found or accessed by drivers is a wasted asset. “Through our managed roaming solution, parking operators be- come instantly visible and accessible to millions of drivers across Europe, with no additional operational effort on their side.” Suthalan Gnanes, Managing Director, GreenFlux www.greenflux.com/commercial-parking Holistic Approach With Amano Mobility Platform EPA BRONZE MEMBER Founded in 1931, Amano has built a long-standing reputation as an innovative provider of people-centric mobility solutions. With deep expertise rooted in its two core competences—Parking and Workforce Management (WFM)—the company has evolved into a comprehensive one-stop shop for organizations facing increas- ingly complex mobility challenges. Today’s mobility landscape is rapidly transforming. Tradition- al approaches focused on managing physical parking spaces are giving way to more dynamic models centered on managing park- ing rights. Amano is at the forefront of this shift, helping both public and private sector stakeholders adapt to new expectations around accessibility, efficiency, and user experience. Through the Amano Mobility Platform, the company inte- grates data from both smart city environments and private infra- structures. This enables the development of intelligent, tailored solutions that address the needs of diverse user groups—from municipalities and urban planners to employers and facility managers. By combining parking management with workforce insights, Amano delivers a holistic approach that enhances oper- ational efficiency while prioritizing the end-user experience. Central to this approach is a rights-based management mod- ule that places people—not assets—at the core of mobility eco- systems. This perspective allows for more flexible, scalable, and user-friendly solutions that align with the evolving demands of modern mobility. As cities and organizations continue to navigate the complexi- ties of digital transformation, Amano remains committed to de- livering forward-thinking solutions that connect technology, da- ta, and people in meaningful ways. 26 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
Corporate Member Portraits | EPA NEWS EPA BRONZE MEMBER Mobility46 – Transforming Parking & EV Charging in Real Estate Mobility46 is Sweden's leading proptech company providing a digital business platform for parking and EV charging manage- ment within real estate. Our SaaS ecosystem enables property owners, operators and municipalities to streamline administra- tion, increase profitability and unlock new revenue streams through integrated, data-driven mobility solutions. With electrification accelerating across Europe, our focus lies in bridging the gap between infrastructure, business models and operational efficiency. Through automation, dynamic pricing models and digital user journeys, we help transform parking fa- cilities into future-proof mobility hubs. In addition to our platform, we host the annual Stockholm E-Mobility Summit, a curated, knowledge-driven European con- ference bringing together 200+ decision-makers to explore the business transformation of parking and EV charging. Leading Advisor in Parking & Mobility EPA BRONZE MEMBER In an industry undergoing rapid transformation, QUINTA Con- sulting stands out as a trusted advisor for data-driven, future- ready parking and mobility solutions. Based in Frankfurt, the firm has delivered more than 150 projects across 16 countries, sup- porting airports, cities, operators, OEMs, and investors in unlock- ing the full potential of their assets. With over two decades of expertise, QUINTA combines strate- gic insights with advanced analytics to drive operational excel- lence, digital transformation, and revenue optimization. Its inte- grated approach spans mobility strategy, dynamic pricing, AI-en- abled revenue management, and end-to-end operational optimization – helping clients respond to evolving customer ex- pectations and changing market conditions. What differentiates QUINTA Consulting is its ability to translate complex data into actionable strategies: from demand forecasting and elasticity modeling to the implementation of smart pricing engines and digital customer journeys. The result is measurable impact – higher revenues, improved utilization, and enhanced user experi- ence. As parking becomes a core pillar of modern mobility eco- systems, QUINTA Consulting empowers its clients to move be- yond traditional models and capture new value in a data-driven, digital-first landscape. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 27
EPA NEWS k c o t s r e t t u h S © EPA Is One of Over 20 Partners Cities at the Core of the EU-funded GOLIA Project Across Europe, cities are under pressure to make mobility cleaner, fairer and easier to manage, while dealing with very different local conditions. That is the starting point of GOLIA¹, a European project in which the European Parking Association (EPA) is one of over 20 partners. T he project looks at how digital tools and public participation can support better mobility decisions. Rather than treating cities as simple testing grounds, GOLIA places them at the centre of the work. They are where transport policies meet real life and where decisions about ac- cess, parking, public space and mobility ser- vices have immediate consequences for resi- dents, visitors and businesses. The project is built around two connected elements. One is ENGAGEMOVE, the partici- patory approach used to involve citizens and stakeholders in mobility discussions. The other is the GO-X family of tools, developed to support cities at different stages of deci- sion-making. GO-DATA provides the com- mon backbone by bringing together differ- ent data sources in a secure and usable way. From there, the logic moves forward: GO- INFO helps turn data into understandable information, GO-KNOW supports the trans- fer and scaling of digital mobility tools, and GO-WISDOM helps cities assess policy op- tions and their wider effects. Together, EN- GAGEMOVE and GO-X are not just technical components of the project. They are meant to help shape a model of mobility govern- ance that is more democratic, more efficient and smarter in the way it connects evidence, public debate and decision-making. This is closely linked to GOLIA’s broader view of Mobility as a Right: the idea that mobility should not be treated simply as a service to optimise, but as a condition for social par- ticipation, access and inclusion. This logic can be seen clearly in the three city use cases selected for GOLIA. Pilsen, Ant- werp and Florence do not all face the same question, and that is precisely why they mat- ter. Each city enters the project from a differ- ent point, showing how the GOLIA approach can be applied in more than one urban set- ting. Pilsen: turning digital capacity into a shared direction Pilsen represents the part of the process where cities need to build a stronger strate- gic vision from assets they already have. The city is technologically advanced, with a digi- tal twin environment, open data resources, connected mobility infrastructure and sev- eral digital tools already in place. The chal- lenge is not the absence of innovation. The challenge is to connect these separate re- sources and use them as the basis for a broader mobility strategy that works not on- ly for the city itself, but also for the surround- ing municipalities linked to it. 28 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
In GOLIA, Pilsen is linked mainly to GO-INFO. The city’s role is to show how digital capacity can be translated into information that sup- ports debate, planning and public under- standing. This matters across the wider Inte- grated Territorial Investment area, where mobility choices affect access to services, work, education and daily opportunities well beyond municipal boundaries. For that rea- son, the issue is not simply how to visualise data more effectively. It is how to use informa- tion to build a shared understanding of mo- bility as something people rely on in order to participate fully in urban and regional life. This makes Pilsen an important case for the project. It is the place where GOLIA ex- plores how dashboards, visualisations and public-facing information can help create a common understanding of mobility chal- lenges before concrete measures are cho- sen. The participatory side of the project is central here, because vision-building is not just about technology. It is about deciding which direction a city and its wider urban area want to take, and making sure that ac- cessibility, inclusion and territorial cohesion are built into that direction from the begin- ning rather than added later as an after- thought. Antwerp: understanding how successful tools can grow If Pilsen is about building a clearer picture, Antwerp is about scaling something that al- ready works. The city has long experience with multimodal mobility planning and has developed Smart Ways to Antwerp, a plat- form that helps people make smarter travel choices while supporting broader accessibil- ity goals. Antwerp is therefore not using GO- LIA to start from zero. It is using the project to understand how an existing digital mobil- ity offer can be expanded, adapted and transferred more effectively. This is where GO-KNOW comes in. Ant- werp’s use case is closely tied to the ques- tion of scale-up: how can a proven mobility tool grow beyond its original scope without losing clarity, usefulness or public value? That includes looking at digital assets al- ready in place, understanding what makes them transferable, and identifying what is needed to extend them to a wider functional urban area. In practical terms, this also means asking whether growth actually im- proves people’s ability to move across the city and its surrounding area, or whether some users risk being left behind as services become more complex or more unevenly distributed. For GOLIA, Antwerp brings a very practi- cal perspective. Many cities do not struggle because they lack pilots; they struggle be- cause they do not know how to move from a good local initiative to a stable and broader solution. Antwerp helps address exactly that issue. It shows how the project can support cities that are already moving, but need bet- ter guidance on how to grow in a structured way and reach more users. In this sense, the Antwerp case fits naturally with the idea of Mobility as a Right: the question is not only whether a mobility platform can expand, but whether it can do so while remaining acces- sible, intelligible and genuinely useful for different groups of citizens. Florence: supporting difficult policy choices in a sensitive urban setting Florence completes the GO-X logic by focus- ing on GO-WISDOM, the module designed to support decision-making when cities face difficult choices. In Florence, mobility policy cannot be separated from the character of the city itself. Historic urban form, intense visitor pressure, freight movements, safety needs and public space all intersect in ways that make even small interventions politi- cally and socially significant. The Florence use case looks at urban space redesign and mobility hubs, with par- ticular attention to access rules, safety and the impact of new measures on different groups. This is where GOLIA becomes espe- cially relevant for city authorities. It is one thing to collect data or improve digital tools; it is another to decide which policy option should move forward when the interests of residents, businesses, logistics operators and vulnerable users do not fully align. In a city like Florence, those decisions quickly become questions about who can move eas- EPA NEWS ily, who faces additional barriers, and how limited public space should be allocated. GO-WISDOM is intended to help with ex- actly that type of decision. It does not simply ask whether a measure performs well in technical terms. It also asks how it affects the wider social balance of mobility. In GO- LIA, this is assessed through the Social Opti- mum Mobility Index, a framework used to examine whether mobility choices improve access and quality of life in a way that is fair across society. Florence is therefore the city that brings the policy dimension into sharp focus: not just what can be done, but what should be done when trade-offs are una- voidable. Here, Mobility as a Right becomes a concrete lens for judging urban interven- tions, especially in a setting where every change to access, safety or public space can open opportunities for some users while making mobility harder for others. More than a Technology Project Taken together, the three cities show why GOLIA has been designed as more than a technology project. The common data layer matters, but data alone is not enough. Cities need to explain mobility issues clearly, un- derstand how successful tools can be scaled, and make policy decisions that stand up in the real world. Pilsen, Antwerp and Florence each illuminate one part of that journey. For PTI readers working in parking and urban mobility, this is the real value of GOLIA: it looks at the city not as a backdrop, but as the place where digital innovation, governance and public priorities finally have to work to- gether. At its core, the project is trying to show that smarter mobility is not just a mat- ter of better tools. It also depends on a gov- ernance model that is able to listen, decide and act in a way that is more democratic, more efficient and more attentive to mobili- ty as a right for all. To be kept informed about the project’s developments, please register for the GOLIA newsletter via https://www.golia-project.eu/ news/, follow its LinkedIn-page2 and of course keep following EPA’s communica- tions channels! ■ 1 www.golia-project.eu/ 2 www.linkedin.com/company/golia-project/ Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 29
EPA NEWS P V A E © Standardising the Future of Parking EPA at the Forefront of the EAVP Initiative At Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026, the Enhancing Automated Valet Parking (EAVP1) platform demonstrated how collaboration and standardization are shaping the future of connected and automated parking services — with the European Parking Association (EPA) playing a central role as a founding member and current chair of this technology-oriented initiative. F ounded by several car manufacturers (OEMs) within ACEA, and currently hosted by ERTICO – ITS Europe, EAVP brings together vehicle manufacturers, technology providers and parking op- erators to accelerate the deployment of next-generation parking so- lutions. This collaborative approach reflects EPA’s mission to support integrated, data-driven mobility systems across Europe, as reflected in the 5 Policy Priorities of the EPA Manifesto 2025-20302. The urgency is clear. According to some studies, around 30 per cent of urban traffic is linked to drivers searching for parking, while by 2030 nearly all new vehicles are expected to be connected. Ad- dressing this challenge requires a shift from fragmented systems to a fully interoperable ecosystem. APDS: A Common Data Language At the core of EAVP’s work is the advancement of the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS3), founded by EPA, the BPA and IPMI. By enabling a common data language, the APDS standard allows parking infrastructure, vehicles, and digital services to communicate seamlessly — supporting real-time guidance, frictionless access, and the integration of services such as EV charging and automated pay- ment. These themes were reinforced during the 2nd EPA Parking Day at In- tertraffic. Contributions from EPA Gold Members SKIDATA and Valeo, in cooperation with BMW, highlighted that true interopera- bility requires more than technology alone: it depends on open ecosystems, data sharing, and standardized parking facility maps covering the entire customer journey. Even today’s connected and partially automated vehicles already rely on this level of coordina- tion — making standardization an immediate priority, not a future ambition. The discussion in Amsterdam also underlined a key industry shift: from managing parking assets to orchestrating demand and guiding users more efficiently. Reducing “space-hunting” traffic, improving vehicle flow, and enhancing the user experience are no longer isolat- ed goals, but part of a broader, integrated mobility strategy. Through its leadership within EAVP and continued support for APDS rollout throughout Europe and beyond, EPA is helping to drive this digital transformation at scale. ■ 1 https://eavp.eu/ 2 See https://europeanparking.eu/epa-manifesto-2025-2030/ 3 https://allianceforparkingdatastandards.org/ 30 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
EPA NEWS EPA Manifesto 2025–2030 Participants of the EPA Parking Day (read more about the event on pages 10–14) received copies of the new EPA Manifesto 2025– 2030, marking its debut in print. The document outlines EPA’s vision, recommendations and key policy priorities for the parking and urban mobility sector. It is digitally available here: https://europeanparking.eu/epa-manifesto-2025-2030/ Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 31
EPA NEWS APDS Essentials Training Building the Data Foundations for AI in Mobility and Parking By Nigel Williams, APDS Chair, EPA President Emeritus Artificial intelligence promises to transform parking and mobility, along with many other aspects of our lives. However, as the pres- entations at the 2026 EPA Parking Day at Intertraffic Amsterdam highlighted, the real question is not what can AI do for us, but how ready and able are we to make use of AI. T he answer increasingly comes down to one thing: data. More precisely, the availability of sufficient, structured, standard- ised data to feed AI and provide the foundation for smarter mobility systems. As a founding member of the Alliance for Parking Data Standards (APDS), the European Parking Association (EPA), alongside the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking & Mobility In- stitute (IPMI), is helping professionals navigate the changes brought about by the rapid digitalisation of our sector. In line with this, APDS recently launched its new APDS Essentials online training course. Designed for anyone working in parking and mobility — CEOs, senior operations staff, procurement teams, IT teams and software developers — the course provides a concise practical introduction to how data, data standards and digitalisation are shaping the future of the industry. Online Course in Three Parts In Part 1, participants explore why standardisation is essential for communication between systems and organisations — and how adopting the APDS shared data language can unlock efficiency, scal- ability and new business opportunities. Part 2 breaks down how parking data is structured within the APDS model, helping professionals understand how consistent ter- minology and data frameworks enable systems — and increasingly AI — to work together effectively. A look back that’ll make you smile Bob Dylan once sang, “Times they are a-changin’”. That’s still true today, and the pace of change is even accelerating. A look back at our – not entirely serious – gift guide illustrates this in a humorous way. In Part 3, the focus turns to real-world application, showing how, us- ing APDS, standardised data can be published, shared and integrated across platforms to support smart parking services and user-facing applications. Three International Case Studies Three international case studies bring these concepts to life, demon- strating how APDS is already improving operations, reducing com- plexity and enabling collaboration across the sector. As discussions at Intertraffic made clear, the technology for AI- driven mobility is already here. The challenge now is implementation — and professionals who understand the importance of data stand- ards will be better positioned to lead that transition. Whether you are looking to strengthen your expertise, future- proof your role, or stay ahead in a rapidly evolving sector, APDS Es- sentials offers a valuable and practical starting point. ■ Discover the APDS Essentials training here: https://allianceforparkingdatastandards. org/training/ i n o i t a i c o s s A g n k r a P n a e p o r u E © 32 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
EPA NEWS Update on the EPA Policy & Strategy Committee Elevating Excellence: Why Quality Standards Define the Future of Parking By Stefan Sadleder, Chair of EPA Policy & Strateg y Committee, European Parking A ssociation U ndoubtedly, the parking sector is recog- nized as a central pillar of the European mobility ecosystem. We worked hard over the last few years to come to this point. In my for- mer role as Vice President of the European Parking Association’s Board and currently as Chair of the EPA Policy and Strategy Committee, I saw firsthand how our industry is being reshaped by the “twin transition” – green and digital. To navigate this, the European Standard Parking Award (ESPA)1 has become more than a benchmark; it is our strategic roadmap. The ESPA Off-Street Gold award for exceptional quality of service The ESPA: A Foundation for Trust For decades, the ESPA has provided a trustworthy environment for users by enforcing rigorous standards in safety, lighting, and accessibility. However, maintaining these standards to- day requires looking beyond the concrete. Our committee is cur- rently focused on updating the ESPA Off-Street checklist to reflect modern operational realities. professionalism. We argue that for “unmanned use cases” – common in high-quality, automated facili- ties – mandatory cash acceptance creates dispro- portionate safety risks and costs. By adhering to transparent, high-level standards, we demonstrate that our transition toward digital-first, “No Cash” environments is driven by efficiency and user safe- ty, not a desire to exclude. A Vision for 2030 Our EPA Manifesto 2025–20304 makes it clear: parking facilities must be safe, resilient, and multi- functional. Whether it is through the “Gold” stand- ard of the ESPA or the implementation of the new European Parking Card5 for persons with disabili- ties , our focus remains on the customer experience. Quality standards provide the harmonized framework necessary to prevent “one-size-fits-all” legislation from hindering local innovation. By committing to these benchmarks, we ensure that European parking ■ operators remain at the forefront of sustainable urban mobility! Quality now includes seamless, digital access and integrated elec- tromobility. We are working to incorporate specific EV-related safe- ty items into the ESPA framework, ensuring that as we meet the mandates of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD)2, we do so without compromising the high safety bench- marks the ESPA represents. Standards as a Regulatory Shield Emphasizing quality standards is also a key part of our advocacy. When we discuss the Legal Tender Status of Euro Cash with EU stakeholders3, our commitment to the ESPA serves as proof of our 1 See https://europeanparking.eu/espa-off-street/ 2 See https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/energy-efficiency/energy-perfor- mance-buildings/energy-performance-buildings-directive_en (in particular Art. 14 of the new Directive) 3 See the joint declaration EPA co-signed here: https://www.eurocommerce. eu/2026/03/joint-statement-from-european-merchants/ 4 See https://europeanparking.eu/epa-manifesto-2025-2030/ 5 See https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice- and-fundamental-rights/disability/european-disability-card-and-european- parking-card-persons-disabilities_en i G A g n k r a P n i G A g n k r a P n i t s e B © Bright, welcoming, clean and equipped for sustainable e-mobility: a modern underground car park set to open. Sustainable and architecturally appealing: a multi-storey car park at Vienna’s Prater with an innovative green façade Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 i t s e B © 33
INTRODUCING Promotion Designa PARKETPLACE® connects existing parking infrastructure with mobility apps U rban mobility is undergoing a fun- A neutral marketplace for parking With Designa PARKETPLACE®, Designa ad- dresses these requirements through a digi- tal marketplace platform for parking. (PARCS) are built for high reliability, robust- ness and long lifecycles. However, they were not originally designed for direct cloud connectivity or the integration of third-party mobility apps. damental transformation. Drivers increasingly expect parking to be seamless, predictable and fully integrated into their digital environment. Mobile ap- plications such as EasyPark, PayByPhone, My Way or Peuka have set new standards by enabling users to find, access and pay for parking via smartphone – often across cit- ies and countries and through a single, consistent user interface. While mobility services continue to evolve dynamically, the underlying parking infrastructure is often not yet designed to meet these requirements. Traditional Park- ing Access and Revenue Control Systems This creates a strategic dilemma for parking operators: • How can existing PARCS be integrated in- to digital mobility ecosystems without costly system replacements? • How can customers use the apps they al- ready know without becoming depend- ent on a single platform provider? • And how can digital sales channels be expanded while maintaining full opera- tional control? PARKETPLACE® acts as a neutral middle- ware layer between existing parking infra- structure, PARCS systems and external mo- bility apps. The platform forms the con- necting element between physical parking technology and digital mobility services and enables interoperability without com- promising the reliability of proven systems. Through a central integration point, op- erators can make their parking facilities available across multiple digital sales chan- nels independently of the underlying 34 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
INTRODUCING PARCS. Access rules can be configured, ex- ternal providers prioritized and perfor- mance indicators monitored, while full con- trol over access, channels and data remains with the operator. “Our partnership with Designa represents a major step forward in our mission to • Manual flow: Drivers start and end their parking ses- sion manually via the app when auto- matic vehicle recognition is not available. make parking smarter and • Ticket takeover: more accessible. By joining the Designa PARKETPLACE, Parking sessions initiated via the PARCS can be seamlessly transferred to a third- party app without operator intervention. we can offer our users a • Reservation: broader network of parking facilities and deliver an even more seamless digital parking Users can book parking spaces in ad- vance via their mobility app. Upon arriv- al, access is automated and payment is processed digitally. Invisible to drivers – powerful for operators From the user’s perspective, PARKET- PLACE® remains completely in the back- ground. Drivers continue to interact exclusively with their preferred app. Entry, exit, pay- ment and parking session management therefore take place entirely within the fa- miliar app environment. No additional user accounts, portals or onboarding processes are required. The mobility apps EasyPark, PayByPhone, My Way and Peuka are cur- rently supported. The integration of additional mobility apps is technically предусмотрено and can be implemented at any time. PARKET- PLACE® is designed as an open middleware platform that can be gradually expanded to include additional app partners. For operators, this creates a continuous digital connection to the mobility ecosys- tem without having to replace existing PARCS or build multiple parallel app inte- grations. PARKETPLACE® enables operators to systematically open up new digital sales experience.” Christopher Gruber, Founder and CEO, Peuka channels and continuously expand the app ecosystem. Designed for real-world parking operations PARKETPLACE® supports multiple opera- tional flows to cover different technical conditions and market requirements: • Automatic flow: Vehicles are recognized at entry, for ex- ample via LPR technology (License Plate Recognition). Barriers open automatical- ly and the parking session is managed entirely via the app. Transparency, control and future readiness Beyond pure technical integration, PARKET- PLACE® provides configuration and report- ing functions for operational use and strate- gic management. Operators gain access to standardized dashboards and reports with cross-plat- form usage and revenue data across all connected mobility apps. This enables data- driven decisions, provider compari- sons and the targeted optimization of digi- tal sales channels. By enabling interoperability instead of platform dependency, PARKETPLACE® helps operators to: • systematically expand digital sales chan- nels • remain independent of closed platform ecosystems • extend the lifecycle of existing PARCS in- frastructure • retain full operational control and data ownership For drivers, this results in parking that feels as intuitive as any digital payment process. For mobility partners, each new integra- tion expands the digital infrastructure and creates shared growth potential. ■ Further Information designa.com/ parketplace Peuka as the latest integration in the Designa PARKETPLACE® ecosystem. From left to right: Christian Grzona (CDO, Designa), Malte Wussow (Founder & CEO, Peuka), Florian Leiber (CTO, Designa), Christopher Gruber (Founder & CEO, Peuka). Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 35
BEST PRACTICE Vienna Airport Sustainability Award for New Car Rental Centre The new “Turnaround-Center” in parking garage 4 at Vienna Airport has been honoured with the prestigious Airport Parking Sustainability Award 2025 from the Airport Parking Network Event. The award recognizes outstanding innovations in sustainability, digitalization, and efficiency in airport parking. T he award-winning solution combines all rental car services—rental, return, and vehicle cleaning—in one central location for the first time. The concept, de- veloped in collaboration with Assured Aus- tria, increases convenience and efficiency for travellers and rental car providers and saves around 300 tons of CO2 annually through optimized processes. Efficiency and Convenience in One Place Previously, check-in, cleaning, and inspec- tion were spread across several locations up to four kilometres apart. This resulted in over 600,000 unnecessary vehicle move- ments per year and correspondingly high emissions. With the new concept, all pro- cesses have been bundled under one roof— without the need for new buildings, as exist- ing space could be used. Parking garage 4 plays a central role in this. It houses the award-winning Turna- The winning team with the award round-Center, where all rental car services, from rental and return to vehicle cleaning, are handled. By using an existing parking garage level, no additional space had to be built. Centralized processing not only reduces vehicle movements, but also significantly simplifies processes for rental car providers. k c o t s r e t t u h S © The “Turnaround-Center” is located in parking garage 4—in this picture the building at the front left—at Vienna Airport. Optimized processes save around 300 tons of CO2 annually. From check-in to quality control, a turna- round takes just 20 minutes. Vehicle cleaning was previously located at different sites and is now organized in a centralized manner. For passengers, the innovative rental car centre offers high service quality and a great deal of convenience: it is staffed around the clock, the processes are clearly structured, and weather-protected walkways provide di- rect and convenient access to the terminals. Assured Austria: Partner of the Airport Assured Austria has been a partner of Vienna Airport for almost a decade. Together, they have continuously implemented new service offerings, including valet parking. “The Air- port Parking Sustainability Award 2025 is a valuable confirmation of the excellent coop- eration with Assured Austria and the great performance of our team. We look forward to taking further innovative and sustainable steps together to continuously improve the quality of service for our customers,” says Susanne Schlagenhaufen, Head of Parking and Transport Connections at Flughafen Wien AG. ■ 36 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 i G A n e W n e f a h g u l F ©
BEST PRACTICE Promotion Scheidt & Bachmann For 60 years, Scheidt & Bachmann Parking Solutions has stood for innovation, partnership, and true market proximity From the parking token to the cloud-native platform – making parking effortless Since 1966, our ingeniously engineered parking systems have evolved into some of the world’s most advanced parking so- lutions. Driven by close collaboration with parking professionals worldwide, we cele- brate our anniversary with pride – and a clear focus on the future. Future-proof solutions that drive the market Customer needs have always guided our innovation. With our in-house develop- ment team, we respond rapidly and with strong practical relevance. Whether clas- sic equipment or AI-powered, camera- based systems – every technology serves one purpose: creating smarter, more effi- cient, and more convenient operations while ensuring an exceptional parking ex- perience. With thousands of installations around the world, using LPR technology and bar- riered or barrier-free concepts, our plan- ning expertise is unmatched. Our special- ists support your design process, integrate equipment into your layouts, and ensure smooth, fast, and professional installa- tions. Strong partnerships deliver strong results Beyond technology and project execution, long-term relationships are key to our suc- cess. We stand for seamless commission- ing, reliable support, and high system availability. Compliance with local regula- tions, certifications like ISO 27001, and regular audits provide our customers with maximum confidence – creating trust and strengthening lasting partnerships. The next milestone: entervo infi- nite – our cloud-native platform With entervo infinite, we are ushering in a new era of modern parking management. Fully cloud-based, always up to date, and accessible from anywhere, the platform delivers: • remote access, • real-time insights and centralized control, • automatic updates, • high scalability for evolving business needs. As a mobility interface, entervo infinite opens the door to new business models, streamlined workflows, and a smooth, fu- ture-ready operation. Sustainability at the core From durable hardware to fully digital, cloud-native solutions, we combine quali- ty with responsibility. Lower maintenance, reduced resource usage, and modern op- erating models support sustainable and future-proof parking management. Six decades close to the market – and always one step ahead Scheidt & Bachmann Parking Solutions will continue to be a reliable partner for all those who want to shape parking that is smart, efficient, and centered around the customer. ■ i l s n o i t u o S g n k r a P n n a m h c a B & t d e h c S © i Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 37
BEST PRACTICE r e b u H ) s o t o h p l l a ( © Huber Parking Honoured for Successful Neighbourhood Integration ESPA Off-Street Gold Award for Car Park Project in Saarbrücken With the construction of a new car park in Saarbrücken, Huber Parking Deutschland has realised a project that goes beyond simply providing parking spaces. Together with its consortium partner Peter Gross, the result was an inner-city mobility hub with access to office space, an unusual brick façade and a sustainable roofing solution in the capital of the German state of Saarland. O n behalf of PATRIZIA SE, an inner-city mobility hub with 389 parking spaces was created, combining functional require- ments, architectural quality and sustainability aspects in an integrated concept. This was honoured with the ESPA Off-Street Gold Award. Michael Kesseler, Vice President of the EPA, presented the award at the car park's grand opening on 4 February 2026. The car park itself is designed as a split-level structure with a total of eleven half-levels. Opposing ramps guide parkers to the next higher or lower level. The planners hope that this access concept will enable short driving distances, clear traffic flow and significantly re- duce ramp lengths. Vertical access is provided by several stairwells, one of which has a lift. An additional passageway integrated into the building provides access to the rear entrance. Urban integration Multi-storey office space adjoins the car park, separated by a solid fire wall. A car rental company is planned for the ground floor on the street side, which is directly connected to the entrance and exit via an arcade. According to Huber, this arcade area deliberately con- trasts with the façade design above. Exposed concrete and a black glass façade add urban accents. Also architecturally striking, is the unusual brick façade on the south side. The aim was to develop a substructure that would disap- pear completely behind the open brick structure. In combination with the graphite grey coated steel construction, a striking façade has been created that allows the functional building to blend natu- rally into the surrounding streetscape of residential and commercial buildings. Open and closed façade elements, anti-glare and sound- proof façades, and climbing aids have been added in some areas. On the north side, the façade is greened with round plant baskets. The lower levels are equipped with sound absorbers on the un- derside of the ceiling to achieve adequate noise reduction even dur- Architecturally striking: the unusual brick façade on the south side 38 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
BEST PRACTICE View from inside Stairwell ing 24/7 operation. Ten charging points for electric vehicles are avail- able on the ground floor, and according to Huber, another ten charg- ing points are pre-installed. Green roof concept Another technical feature is the car park roof, which is designed as a retention throttle roof. As a green roof with rainwater retention, it helps to relieve the burden on the sewer system and improve the microclimate. Huber Parking Deutschland planned and implemented the steel structure, the parking decks, the retention roof, the façades and the electrical equipment as part of the project. According to the con- struction company, the interaction of these components results in a car park that integrates functional requirements, design quality and sustainability aspects. Furthermore, the project exemplifies how car parks are no longer seen exclusively as infrastructure buildings, but ■ as part of integrated neighbourhood development. MSR-Traffic Awarded the ESPA Off-Street Gold Award Affordable and Efficient Parking Guidance System A project that perfectly demonstrates the synergies between our companies MSR- Traffic GmbH and MSR-Electronic GmbH,” says Christoph Riedl, CEO of MSR-Austria GmbH. “For this project in Upper Austria, we were able to supply both the parking guid- ance system and the CO warning system.” In this parking guidance system, available parking spaces are determined by counting the difference between vehicles entering and exiting at the barrier gates. The parking system is supplied by Arivo, a leading pro- vider of number-plate-based entry and exit systems. The data is then transmitted via a local server to the respective matrix displays in the surrounding area and on the building. The solution represents a cost-effective al- ternative to individual space detection sys- tems and also helps to minimise traffic searching for parking spaces. ■ Warning sign for the CO alarm system The number of available parking spaces is displayed on several screens on the building and in the surrounding area. R S M ) 3 ( © Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 39
BEST PRACTICE BookFlowGo Newcastle Airport Cut Queues Using Parking Tech W hen Newcastle Airport’s Meet & Greet check-in began to see queues during busy summer periods, the team knew it was time to rethink their approach. “Our Meet & Greet product is a pre- mium service,” explains Jonathon Ward, Commercial Manager at Newcastle Airport. “Customers were occasionally queuing longer than we would have liked – and that just didn’t reflect the level of experience we wanted to deliver.” Challenges identified The challenges identified were on different levels of experience. Queues during peak periods caused delays which impacted custom- er experience. Slow check-in processes reduced the efficiency of the car park and lowered perceived value, as customers expected a fast and seamless handover for a premium service. Increasing booking volumes year-on-year put pressure on the existing system to manage more vehicles without extending wait times or affecting operational flow. Already a long-standing Parkspace customer, the Newcastle team began exploring ways to improve their on-the-ground operations. Parkspace developed by Chauntry, a pioneer of digital airport park- ing, is an advanced reservation platform. It empowers airport execu- tives, putting them in control to capture incremental revenue and en- sure maximum profitability from every available parking space. New- castle Airport then decided to introduce a more streamlined check-in process using ParkIT self-service kiosks and online check-in tools. ParkIT self-service kiosks They wanted a solution that could be rolled out in stages, giving staff time to adapt to the new system. Immediate Impact The impact was immediate. Check-in times dropped dramatically, with queues disappearing even during the airport’s busiest summer sea- son. Despite a 15 per cent increase in Meet & Greet bookings, the team recorded no queueing issues throughout the entire period. “Seeing growth without queues is a real success for us,” Jonathon says. The transition from manual to digitised processes also enabled tracking and improved transparency. With the online check-in custom- ers can check in ahead of arrival, improving passenger flow and allow- ing for better workforce management. ■ o G w o l F k o o B © Parksphere How Jönköping Automated its Parking Permits The municipality of Jönköping – ‘Jönköpings kommun’ – in the north-west of the Swed- ish province of Småland has more than 140,000 inhabitants. Its administration manages ap- proximately 2,500 parking subscriptions across Jönköping and the industrial suburb Huskvar- na. Until recently, this essential service relied on a traditional, labour-intensive workflow: printing and mailing physical permits, process- ing paper forms for cancellations, and manag- ing invoices manually. To eliminate these administrative bottle- necks, the city administration initiated a rig- orous procurement process. Giant Leap se- cured the contract with its DigitalPermit prod- uct – a web-based solution designed to automate the complexity of modern urban mobility. Customer-Centric Service An online customer portal empowers citizens to manage their subscriptions, updates, and payments at their convenience, significantly reducing the volume of routine phone and e- mail inquiries. By digitizing the allocation of parking spaces, the system ensures a fair and transparent process for citizens – eliminating the need for manual follow-ups. The transition from paper-based process- es to a fully digital ecosystem has fundamen- tally shifted how the municipality operates. By automating time-consuming back-office tasks, the team has gained valuable time. The integration with the ERP-system ensures that invoicing is now a touchless process. This re- duces the risk of human error and provides an automatic financial data flow. Per Olsson, op- erations manager, Jönköping municipality, says: “We can now spend our time on cus- tomer service instead of administration, and customers appreciate how easy it is to man- age their parking online.” Digital-First Approach For Jönköping, the move to Giant Leap’s Digi- talPermit solution represents more than just a software update – it is a commitment to a more efficient, sustainable, and user-friendly city. “Billing runs seamlessly, and the support team is quick and friendly whenever we need them,” adds Olsson. By embracing a digital- first approach, Jönköping has ensured that its parking administration is no longer a hurdle, but a streamlined service that grows with the city’s needs – a genuine giant leap forward. ■ 40 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
BEST PRACTICE noviniti New Multi-Storey Car Park at Royal Derby Hospital to Resolve Congestion Issues noviniti announces that the new multi-storey car park (MSCP) at Royal Derby Hospital is complete. For this project the developer were joined by University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, construction partner Willmott Dixon and Group Nexus, who will operate the new car park. The multi-storey car park, with 874 spaces, is intended to resolve parking and traffic issues, whilst enhancing the experience for all visitors to the Royal Derby Hospital. C onstruction of the new MSCP began in October 2024. The 5-storey, 874-space MSCP is now open to pa- tients and visitors, creating 500 additional parking spaces to significantly improve park- ing at Royal Derby Hospital. Included are 69 accessible bays and infrastructure for 20 electric vehicles. In line with the Trust and noviniti’s commitment to reducing environ- mental impact, a solar array has been in- stalled on the top level to help reduce run- ning costs. noviniti specialises in working with the public sector, as well as with lead- ing, well-known companies “Exceptional Project” Jonathan Houlston, CEO at noviniti, said: “It has been a great pleasure for noviniti to work with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and Willmott Dixon to deliver the new 874-space multi- storey car park at Royal Derby Hospital. This is a significant project for the Trust and will support them in improving the patient and visitor experience at the hospital with a greatly improved on-site parking provision. We would like to thank all involved in the delivery of this exceptional project.” Reflecting on the impact the multi-storey car park can have for patients and visitors at Royal Derby Hospital, Andrew Selby, Director of Estates & Facilities, said: “We are very pleased to be able to open the new car park, which we know will make visiting our hospi- tal easier for all, now and in the future, ad- dressing the long-standing challenge of in- creased demand on NHS services and a lim- ited parking provision. We are grateful to our communities for providing their feedback as part of this project, and also to everyone who has utilised the park and ride service during construction, allowing us to safely build the new car park without impacting on people’s ability to access care in our hospital or visit their loved ones on site.” “Highly Functional Facility” Nick Heath, director of delivery at Willmott Dixon, added: “We are delighted that the new multi-storey car park is now open, marking the successful completion of a pro- ject that will help resolve parking and con- gestion issues and significantly improve the experience for everyone visiting Royal Derby Hospital. Our close collaboration with Uni- versity Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust and noviniti has resulted in the delivery of a modern, well-designed, and highly functional facility. This new car park represents a major step forward in making Royal Derby Hospital more accessible for pa- tients and visitors, both now and in the fu- ture.” ■ i t i n i v o n © Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 41
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS Bosch Service Solutions Truck Parking in the Eifel Region Relies on Digital Parking A new secure car park in Fließem near Bitburg is the latest addition to the Bosch Secure Truck Parking network. The new facility in the Eifel region has 60 parking spaces and is located in the border area with Belgium and Luxembourg, just three kilometres from the nearest motorway exit. Digital parking space management enables online reservation of parking spaces and on-site payment with fleet cards. T he site addresses the regional demand for secure parking spaces. It is operated by Truck Parking Bitburg eGbR, which is providing parking space for the first time with this secure car park. Bosch Road Services provided support with the planning, di- mensioning and technical equipment for the site. The Bosch Secure Truck Parking booking platform manages reservations for the truck parking spaces. The site has been completely redeveloped and equipped in line with the latest safety and comfort standards. This includes barrier systems, a turnstile for pedestrian access, video surveillance, over- run and underrun protection at the entrance and exit, a lounge with snack and drink vending machines, and modern sanitary facilities with toilets and showers. The site is designed for virtually autono- mous operation. Cleaning, maintenance and clearance services are provided by local service providers. Opening with the Federal Minister of Transport The site was officially opened at a ceremony in early January 2026. German Federal Minister of Transport Patrick Schnieder was also present in person. In his speech, he praised the new site as an impor- tant contribution to road safety and to strengthening the regional logistics infrastructure. “Our truck drivers ensure that our shelves are stocked and goods are delivered to their destinations every day. It’s a demanding job that requires restful breaks above all else. The new parking spaces ensure safety, better planning and provide our driv- ers with everything they need to continue their journey rested and safe,” said the Minister. Trucks are granted access via number plate recognition. Accord- ing to Bosch Secure Truck Parking, bookings can be made around the clock via an online portal. Drivers receive a physical ticket upon en- try, which controls access to the area. Drivers also receive a booking number for pedestrian access. The digital system ensures that stays and accesses are automatically recorded and controlled in accord- ance with the booked time slots. “The combination of digital parking space management and physical security technology strengthens the reliability and attrac- tiveness of the location in the long term,” says Dr Jan-Philipp Weers, ■ Head of Bosch Road Services at Bosch Service Solutions GmbH. New secure truck parking area near Bitburg, equipped with barriers, video surveillance and digital parking management. 42 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 l s n o i t u o S e c i v r e S h c s o B ©
i a d e p o k r a P © INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS Parkopedia/Hyundai AutoEver Europe’s First In-Car Indoor Navigation Parkopedia and Hyundai AutoEver are have demonstrated Europe’s first end-to-end in-car navigation and mapping service. It pro- vides a streamlined parking process for drivers completing their journeys in indoor locations. The Indoor Maps service seamlessly directs drivers to specific parking spaces, EV chargers or zones, helping them to navigate indoor or underground locations without the need for traditional GPS localisation. O nce Indoor Maps goes into produc- tion, it is set to become an impor- tant differentiator for car manufac- turers, as drivers increasingly value seamless vehicle technology, according to Parkopedia and HyundaiEver. The service offers advan- tages in the areas of parking, mobility and autonomous driving, helping drivers to find their way around both indoors and outdoors with ease. Unlike current solutions, which end at the entrance to the car park, end-to- end navigation completes the journey by guiding drivers to their exact parking space or parking zone, for example for charging electric vehicles or for more efficient onward travel. In addition, Parkopedia has improved 3D visualisation and linked indoor maps to its own EV product to enable a seamless parking and charging experience, regard- less of whether drivers park indoors or outdoors. High-resolution Indoor Maps Parkopedia, in collaboration with Hyundai AutoEver, aims to be the first company to of- fer large-scale, high-resolution indoor maps across Europe, with mapping for North America already underway. Unlike low-reso- lution maps, Parkopedia uses extensive 3D point cloud data to create high-resolution maps that capture precise details of the real world, providing a more intuitive navigation experience. This means better contextual awareness, as the map data includes foot- paths, EV charging stations, accessible park- ing spaces and payment zones. Parkopedia already has a market-ready inventory of parking data across Europe and is adding new data and locations every day. This includes, in particular, indoor maps of key mobility hubs such as airports, railway station car parks and large shopping centres. According to the company, it has already mapped 18 of the 25 busiest airports in Eu- rope, including individual car parks with up to 6,000 spaces. The company has invested significant re- sources in new tools and AI optimisations to improve the speed and efficiency of creating new indoor maps. This includes the develop- ment of algorithms that can recognise and log features such as entrances, stairs and lifts. Duncan Licence, Chief Product Officer at Parkopedia, says: “We are delighted that Hyundai AutoEver has proven that our In- door Maps service can be successfully inte- grated into its vehicles and is highly valued by users.” ■ Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 43
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS R H Ö W ) 3 ( © The old US Embassy is an architectural highlight in the heart of Oslo. The WÖHR Multiparker 740 stacks 28 vehicles across four levels. WÖHR American Embassy in Oslo – Modernisation with an Innovative Parking Solution The historic, listed former US Embassy in Oslo is being transformed into a modern office building with catering facilities. WÖHR is supplying a space-saving, fully automatic parking system. T he former US Embassy in Oslo, de- signed by the Finnish-American archi- tect Eero Saarinen and opened in 1959, was once a symbol of the dynamism and innovative power of American society. The building epitomised post-war modernism with its clean lines, prefabricated concrete ele- ments and an open, inviting architecture. After decades of intensive use and securi- ty-related alterations, the building was listed as a historic monument in 2017. The restora- The vehicle is automatically guided into the underground high-bay warehouse via an entry bay. Key technical data in detail • WÖHR Multiparker 740 • 28 parking spaces • 4 parking levels, each with 7 park- ing spaces • 180° swivel mechanism for conveni- ent parking and retrieval • Electric charging at all parking spaces • Maximum platform load: 2.7 t • Maximum vehicle length: 525 cm • Maximum vehicle height: 210 cm • Operation via RFID chip tion, carried out by the architectural firms Lundhagem and Atelier Oslo, aimed to pre- serve the original character whilst integrat- ing modern standards. It is now housing a multifunctional centre with offices, confer- ence rooms and restaurants. Parking Space on a Compact Site One of the project’s greatest challenges was creating parking spaces on a fully built-up site. The solution: WÖHR Multiparker 740, a fully automated parking system offering space for 28 vehicles across four levels in the basement. The multi-storey, fully automated parking system ensures maximum use of space and provides an efficient solution in a confined area. For users, the system offers a high level of comfort – the drop-off area is located inside the building and features a bright, modern design. The integrated turntable creates particu- lar added value, as it always allows vehicles to enter and exit in the direction of travel. Operation is intuitive via an RFID system, ensuring simple and convenient use for both visitors and staff. By excavating 12.5 metres below ground lev- el, the usable floor area was expanded from 6,100 to 9,200 square metres. In addition to the parking spaces, an auditorium, a restau- rant and new technical facilities were created. The project demonstrates how architec- ture and technology work together. In doing so, the listed character of the building was preserved whilst integrating state-of-the-art technology. ■ 44 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS HUB Parking Technology Multi-Purpose Kiosk E nd of January 2026, HUB Parking Technology presented its new multi-purpose parking kiosk. It serves as a self-service solution designed to extend the role of traditional payment machines into flexible, service-oriented touchpoints for indoor environments. The kiosk has been developed to support a wide range of parking and non-parking interactions, including ticket and ticketless pay- ments, non-parking product purchases, subscription renewals, voucher validation, and targeted digital content. Designed for de- ployment in locations such as airports, hotels, shopping centres and mixed-use facilities, it combines a compact footprint with a configur- able user interface and integration-ready architecture. The software is fully designed in-house and built to scale through integrations with third-party systems, such as guide visitors, indoor navigation, ground transportation, and ticketing for cinema or theatre, the provider promises. Operators Can Customise the Interface “With this kiosk, we focused on adaptability and ease of interaction,” said Mattia Piunti, Digital Technologies–Head of Product Portfolio at FAAC Technologies. “Operators can tailor the interface, branding and on-screen content to their environment, while end users benefit from B U H © Payment option for car parks and various indoor environments. a familiar self-service experience that reduces friction at the point of use. The result is a device that can be configured around local opera- tional needs without increasing complexity for the customer.” Available as a floor-standing or countertop unit, the kiosk features a 21.5-inch commercial-grade touchscreen, supports PCI-compliant electronic payments and integrates with HUB’s Jupiter platform and existing payment gateways. Beyond payments, it can be used to pro- mote parking information, advertise services, and enable cross-sell- ing of both parking-related and adjacent offerings, helping operators make broader use of a single device throughout the day. ■ THE information sources for parking professionals • THE parking magazine with an European view • THE trade journal for the German speaking region Parking trend · official organ of the European Parking Association (EPA) · international trade journal · specialist magazine for parking · independent, objectively and technically sound · editorial team of EPA members and technical editors · average of 6.25 readers per copy, 23,000 in total* *Results of a reader survey p a d e N : o t o h P Parking trend www.europeanparking.eu Publication of the European Parking Association | Volume 41 | no. 3-2025 INTERNATIONAL 75632 Jahrgang 35 · September 2025 · Ausgabe 138 12 EPA 2025 Conference Most Important Parking and Mobility Event 22 Interview Arrive’s Heidi Wildemann and Giuliano Caldo 44 Research Optimized Parking Prices with Artificial Intelligence AT, BE, CY, FI, FR, DE, IE, IT, LU, PT, SK, SI, ES, NL: 8.50 Euro, HR 63.75 Kuna, GB 7.50 Pound, HU 2,550 Forint, NO 74.50 NOK, PL 39.10 Zloty, SE 80 SEK, CH 15.75 CHF PARKEN 2025 Messe-Reportage + Fachtagung ab Seite 12 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 www.maenken.com 45
m o c . k c o t s r e t t u h S / o d u t s . a h r r y P © i BACK GROUND SKIDATA Belgium Parking Management at Park & Ride sites in Belgium Some years ago, the Belgian operator B-Parking and SKIDATA jointly developed a mobility pass. With this card, visitors can not only enter and exit a car park, but also use trains or buses in Brussels. The card thus offers a comprehensive mobility solu- tion that transforms car parks into transport hubs. The findings from the large-scale project have now been incorporated into a white paper. W hat if car parks became mobility hubs? Not just places to park your car, but genuine hubs connecting rail, cycling, the city and digital services,” recently asked Christian Schmitt, Director Sales & Marketing, SKIDATA Deutschland GmbH, on his LinkedIn profile. He cited a pilot project in Belgium in which 89 station car parks, comprising 23,000 parking spaces, were trans- formed into interconnected mobility hubs – featuring a single mobil- ity pass and centralised management. The result: efficiency for the operator, B-Parking; convenience for users; and a step towards sus- tainable mobility. Park & Ride Sites Across Belgium The goal of B-Parking is to operate public car parks near railway sta- tions as an added service to public transportation. 89 of its park & Zwijndrecht station in Belgium: Mobility Hub operated by B-Parking for convenient transport, bicycle parking and easy parcel services. ride (P+R) sites have been equipped with a remote access manage- ment system by SKIDATA. Since then, Belgian travellers enjoy the convenience of a solution that combines private transport and public transport. All car parks are operated completely cashless. This results in less risk and a convenient management. Three multilingual call centers provide support 24/7 for more than 25 park & ride sites. With the SKI- DATA system, the crew monitors the entire installation remotely and automatically. If an incident occurs at a gate or a ticket machine, it is detected in real-time and fixed in the shortest possible time. Thanks to the cooperation between SKIDATA and NMBS Holding, it was possible to develop a fully centralized software architecture. This concept ensures that human intervention in the car parks throughout Belgium is kept to a minimum. This makes it possible to ■ manage 89 car parks with only six people. SKIDATA White Paper About Mobility Hubs A white paper produced by SKIDATA last year offers a detailed insight into this topic. Among other things, it covers: the definition of the term ‘mobility hub’, a typology of five types of mobility hubs, the role of politics and politi- cal will, trends in urban mobility planning, and the historical roots of the concept. Prior to this, the company had conducted a study on current prac- tice, surveying 14 leading implementers and experts in mobility hubs to better understand current practice and the obstacles to implementing ideas. The findings from this study have been incorpo- rated into the white paper. Here is a link to the SKIDATA white paper entitled “The Next Wave of Mobility Hub” 46 rking trend international | no. 1-2026 P
BACK GROUND Eclipse Foundation/VDA I Through Open Collaboration v tion in the Automotive Sector The Eclipse Foundation, one of the world’s largest open-source software foundations, and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) have announced a significant expansion of their global ecosystem. The aim is to accelerate the development of soft- ware-defined vehicles (SDVs). L aunched in June 2025 with eleven signatories, the underlying Memorandum of Understanding now encompasses 32 global companies representing leading players across the entire automo- tive value chain. The partners made this announcement on the side- lines of CES (Consumer Electronics Show), one of the world’s largest trade fairs for consumer electronics, which took place in Las Vegas in January 2026. “The growing participation in this collaboration reflects a clear global trend towards open innovation in the automotive industry,” said Mike Milinkovich, Executive Director of the Eclipse Foundation. “Market leaders recognise that trustworthy foundations in open source are essential for developing the next generation of safe, intel- ligent and connected vehicles.” This demonstrates significant mo- mentum and strong industry consensus. The aim is to create an open, interoperable and certifiable software base for next-genera- tion mobility, implemented within the Eclipse SDV Working Group. Shared Guiding Principles By working together in an open-source software ecosystem with vendor-neutral governance, the participating organisations aim to reduce fragmentation, improve interoperability and share the bur- den of developing complex, safety-critical software. Specifically, the participating companies expect up to 40 per cent less effort, a market launch up to 30 per cent faster, and improved interoperability be- tween suppliers and vehicle platforms. “By jointly developing non-differentiating software, manufactur- ers and suppliers can focus their resources on what really matters: delivering unique, customer-centric experiences,” said Dr Marcus Bollig, Managing Director of the VDA. Growing global participation The collaboration is attracting companies across the entire automo- tive value chain, including manufacturers, suppliers and technology firms from Europe, Asia and the Americas. New participants include 42dot, Accenture, AVL, Capgemini, Coretura, Cummins, ECARX, Elek- trobit, Infineon, LEAR, LG Electronics, Michelin, MOBIS, Qualcomm, QNX, Red Hat, Schaeffler, Stellantis, Traton, T-Systems and Use- blocks. They join the founding members Aumovio, BMW, Bosch, ETAS, ■ Hella, Mercedes-Benz, Qorix, Valeo, Vector, Volkswagen and ZF. A D V © Open-source software as a key element for speed, efficiency and success: Representatives of the Eclipse Foundation and the VDA demonstrate industry unity at CES in Las Vegas. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 47
INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS Portier Parking Guidance for Garage in Central Stockholm Finnish supplier Portier announced the successful installation of its advanced Parking Guidance Solution at the parking garage located at Brahegatan 10 in central Stockholm. T he parking facility in the Swedish capital is operated by Aimo Park and now fea- tures Portier’s state-of-the-art Sonic Ultra- sonic sensor technology to deliver highly ac- curate, real-time parking space detection. Given the strategic location and high de- mand for parking in the area, it was essential that the solution provide very accurate space detection and precise occupancy calcula- tions at all times. Portier’s ultrasonic sensors have been installed throughout the garage to monitor each individual parking bay, en- suring reliable and immediate data collec- tion. The system is fully integrated with the Portier Parking Guidance Display installed at the entrance of the facility. Drivers are pre- sented with real-time availability informa- tion before entering the garage, enabling smoother traffic flow, reduced search time, and an improved customer experience. to-the-Second Parking Availability” “Our solution ensures that Aimo Park can provide accurate, up-to-the-second parking availability to visitors at Brahegatan 10,” says Jussi Tomperi, Managing Director at Portier. “Precise space detection was a critical re- quirement for this location, and our Sonic Ultrasonic technology delivers the reliability ■ and performance needed.” r e i t r o P © The Portier detection solution in the parking garage located at Brahegatan 10 in central Stockholm. HUB Italia Seamless Parking for Monte Pratello Cableway Facilities HUB Italia has delivered a new-generation parking management system for the Monte Pratello Cableway Facilities, located in southern Abruzzo and serving the Alto Sangro ski area – the largest ski destination in central Italy. O perating year-round at high altitude, the resort welcomes a growing number of skiers, tourists, and outdoor enthusiasts in both winter and summer seasons. The two car parks at the base of the Monte Pratello lifts play a key role in managing visitor access, es- pecially during seasonal peaks. a i l a t I B U H © Entry and exit lane of Monte Pratello Cableway facilities Digital Solution for Various Target Groups With a mix of occasional guests and season pass holders, the site re- quired a modern, digital solution capable of improving traffic flow, reducing queues, and integrating parking with ski services. The up- graded facility offers 500 parking spaces across two areas, with dedi- cated entry and exit lanes equipped with Magnetic PRO barriers. Re- al-time occupancy indicators at the entrances guide drivers efficient- ly, helping to avoid congestion and improving safety for both vehicles and pedestrians. With JMS integration, parking and ski ticketing communicate directly, enabling visitors holding multi-day passes to access free or discounted by presenting their QR code at exit. Moreover, the entire operation ben- efits from real-time monitoring, reporting, and full operational control. Additional integration with the Telepass toll system provides fast, frictionless access through dedicated lanes, significantly reducing queues during busy periods. By combining fast deployment, digital in- tegration and operational reliability, now Monte Pratello is a seamless gateway to the slopes, elevating mobility and visitor experience. ■ 48 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS Lödige Industries Automated Parking System for the “De Sax” Project in Rotterdam German-based Lödige Industries has been commissioned to supply a fully automated parking system for the prestigious De Sax development on Rotterdam’s Wilhelminapier. The project ranks among the most ambitious and architecturally striking urban developments in the Netherlands. i e g d ö L © the renowned D esigned by firm MVRDV Architects, the complex is be- ing developed in collaboration with BPD Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling and Synchroon Developers. De Sax is set to be- come a new landmark symbolising Rotter- dam’s innovative strength and architectural creativity: two elegant, silver-coloured tow- ers are connected by a gold-coloured walk- way that absorbs and reflects light – as if the building itself were in motion. Upon comple- tion, the project will offer 916 apartments with views of the water and will redefine Rot- terdam’s skyline. A particular highlight is the foam-based fire protection system developed, which has been specially certified for use in fires involv- ing both conventional and electric vehicles – a world-leading safety innovation that sets new standards for automated parking sys- tems. De Sax will be the largest automated parking system in the Netherlands to date and thus marks another milestone for Lö- dige Industries, which has already set new standards with the facility on Vijzelgracht in Amsterdam, says the manufacturer. Construction of De Sax was scheduled to begin in November 2025. Lödige Industries will commence work on site from April 2028, with completion planned for May 2030. In addition to planning and installation, Lödige Industries will also handle maintenance and 24/7 remote monitoring to ensure safe, reli- able and efficient operation throughout the ■ facility’s entire lifespan. High-Tech Behind a Glass Façade At the heart of the project is a state-of-the- art, fully automated parking system located above ground between the two towers and set behind an impressive glass façade. This creates 334 parking spaces across ten levels, 34 of which feature charging points for elec- tric vehicles. According to Lödige, he system combines intelligent use of space, efficiency, safety and comfort. Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 49
I O C T R E © PRO SPECTS Connected and automated mobility evolves, automated vehicle parking systems and digitally managed curbside space are becoming essential elements of future urban mobility ecosystems. 17th ITS European Congress 27–29 April 2026 in Istanbul Parking is rapidly emerging as a strategic enabler of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). As cities increasingly reduce congestion, optimize urban space and accelerate the transition towards sustainable transport, the role of parking infrastructure is evolving into an integrated, data-driven mobility service. At the 17th ITS European Congress in Istanbul, 27–29 April 2026, this transformation will be a key part of the wider dialogue on how intelligent transport systems can deliver integrated, safe and seamless mobility. B ringing together thousands of ex- perts from public authorities, indus- try, research and policy, the Con- gress provides a unique platform to explore how digital technologies, connected infra- structure and cooperative systems are re- shaping the way mobility services are de- signed and delivered. Discussions throughout the three days will highlight how ITS solutions can support more efficient traffic flows, reduce emis- sions, and enable better use of valuable urban space. By integrating real-time data, predictive analytics and connected vehicle technologies, cities and mobility operators can transform parking into an active compo- nent of mobility management rather than a static endpoint of a journey, supporting wider mobility system coordination and data-driven traffic management approaches discussed throughout the Congress pro- gramme. infrastructure Intelligent Parking Management As connected and automated mobility evolves, transport is also adapting. Intelligent parking management, automated vehicle parking systems and digi- tally managed curbside space are becoming essential elements of future urban mobility ecosystems, particularly as cities explore new approaches to multimodal integra- tion, connected mobility services and ad- vanced traffic management. Cities’ man- agement of curbside space to balance pas- senger mobility, freight deliveries and emerging micromobility services is also be- coming a central part of these discussions and new innovations across the market. ployed, interoperable solutions across transport networks, new innovations dem- onstrate a clear shift towards the integra- tion of automated vehicles, smart curbside management, electric vehicle charging in- frastructure and multimodal transport hubs. By bringing these perspectives together, the ITS European Congress in Istanbul 2026 will offer an important forum to explore how ITS can contribute to more connected, effi- cient and sustainable mobility systems. Par- ticipants will have the opportunity to engage with experts, discover innovative solutions and exchange best practices that are shap- ing the future of mobility across Europe and beyond. ■ Congress Theme The Congress theme ‘Bridging Innovation: Integrated, Safe and Seamless Mobility’ re- flects a broader shift in the mobility sector. From isolated pilot projects to fully de- For more information and to register, please visit https://2026.itseuropean- congress.com/its-istanbul 50 Parking trend international | no. 1-2026
Calendar: International Parking Events 27–29 April 2026 17 th ITS European Congress Istanbul Congress Center, Turkey 28–29 May, 2026 AIPARK PDays Florence, Italy 3–5 Novembre 2026 Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress Fira Barcelona – Gran Via Barcelona, Spain https://2026.itseuropeancongress. com/its-istanbul www.pdays.eu/pdays www.tomorrowmobility.com 12–14 May 2026 10–11 June 2026 24 Novembre 2026 Czech Parking Association Conference and General Competence Forum “Parken” Conference Konferenční hotel Luna Kouty/Czech republic Meeting 2026 Wolfsburg, Germany 2026 Würzburg, Germany www.parkovaciasociace.cz https://www.parken.de www.parken.de 20–21 May 2026 Parkex CBS Arena Coventry, United Kingdom www.parkex.net 14–17 June 2026 16–17 June 2027 IPMI Parking & Mobility Conference & Expo 2026 Baird Center, Milwaukee United States of America Messe PARKEN RheinMain CongressCenter Wiesbaden, Germany https://ipmi.parking-mobility.org/ 2025/savethedate.cfm www.parken-messe.de PRO SPECTS Imprint Parking trend international is published by Maenken Kommunikation GmbH, Cologne/Germany, in cooperation with European Parking Association aisbl Rue d’Arlon 25, 1050 Brussels www.europeanparking.eu Publishing House (responsible for editorial, adver- tising, production and circulation) Maenken Kommunikation GmbH Von-der-Wettern-Straße 25 51149 Cologne/Germany www.maenken.com Phone +49(0) 22 03/35 84-0 Fax +49(0) 22 03/35 84-185 Frequency: 4 x per year Circulation: 4,100 copies Unit price: see cover, plus forwarding expenses Publisher Dr. Wieland Mänken Editorial Team Marko Ruh (Chief Editor) pti@maenken.com Tom Antonissen (EPA Executive Director) Joanne Sutcliffe (Communications Manager) Vasiliki Orfanaki (Operations Manager) Pauline Caublot (Research & Projects Manager) epa@europeanparking.eu Advertising Team Wolfgang Locker (Publication Manager) Phone +49(0) 22 03/35 84-182 wolfgang.locker@maenken.com Print Shop Silber Druck oHG, Lohfelden (Germany) Parking trend international | no. 1-2026 51