Advocating for a safer, cleaner and more accessible mobility future for all, the FIA Smart Cities initiative identifies and supports innovative and game-changing start-ups through the FIA Smart Cities Global Start-up Contest, powered this season by the start-up accelerator MassChallenge Switzerland. Prior to the Forum in Rome, the last six start-ups of the 18 selected for the season were invited to present their projects to a jury comprised of mobility experts. The winner, Parknav, was then given the opportunity to pitch on the Forum stage, using the platform to gain visibility.

With the continuous global urban growth and the challenges that come with it, data are playing an increasingly important role in the choices mobility users are making. As space has become scarce in cities having to deal with congestion issues, services allowing drivers to make data-backed decisions when it comes to parking are becoming key. Parknav has understood that smart parking management, allowing users to save time and cities to monitor occupancy, is at the core of a smart city. By using Artificial Intelligence to predict where there is open on-street parking in real-time, the start-up provides the only scalable solution that uses zero hardware/sensors and works for every street in a city, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for all types of on-street parking (free, metered and permit). 

Currently available in 240 cities across both the United States and Europe, Parknav has proven it has a global reach and will use the opportunity to engage and interact with key stakeholders and decision-makers offered by the FIA Smart Cities Global Start-up Contest to continue its expansion.