SciTransfer
PoliVisu · Project

Big Data Visualization Tools That Help Cities Make Smarter Transport and Urban Decisions

transportPilotedTRL 7
polivisu.eu

Imagine a city council trying to decide whether to add a new bus route or change speed limits — right now they mostly guess based on gut feeling and complaints. PoliVisu built a set of digital tools that pull together traffic data, sensor readings, and maps into clear visual dashboards so decision-makers can actually see what would happen before they commit. Think of it like a flight simulator, but for city planning — you can test different options and see the likely impact on screen. Three European cities tested these tools on real mobility and urban planning problems.

By the numbers
3
Cities piloted the fully functional platform
16
Consortium partners across 6 countries
9
SMEs involved in development
51
Total project deliverables produced
3
Policy cycle stages supported (design, implementation, evaluation)
62%
Industry partner ratio in consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Cities and regional governments collect massive amounts of traffic, sensor, and geospatial data but lack the tools to turn it into clear policy options. Decision-makers end up relying on intuition or outdated reports, leading to poorly targeted transport policies and wasted public budgets. Companies selling smart city solutions also struggle because municipalities don't have the internal capacity to evaluate data-driven tools before committing to procurement.

The solution

What was built

The project built a fully functional geospatial analytics and visualization platform deployed across 3 pilot cities, plus 3 iterative software releases of modular technical components. The tools include heatmaps, GIS-based dashboards, and real-time data connectors that let users simulate and compare policy options visually before implementation.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart city technology vendors looking to add policy simulation features to their platformsTransport planning and traffic engineering consultanciesGovTech software companies serving municipal clientsRegional and city governments with mobility or urban planning challengesMobility-as-a-service startups needing data visualization for B2G sales
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Urban Mobility & Smart City Solutions
SME
Target: Smart city technology providers and mobility-as-a-service platforms

If you are a smart city solutions company struggling to sell data-driven tools to municipal clients — this project developed a fully functional geospatial analytics platform tested across 3 cities in 6 countries. The open-source components and visualization tools can be integrated into your existing product suite to offer cities proven policy simulation capabilities. With 16 consortium partners validating the approach, you get market-tested technology rather than starting from scratch.

Transport Planning & Consulting
mid-size
Target: Traffic engineering and transport consultancy firms

If you are a transport consultancy dealing with cities that want evidence-based traffic decisions but lack the tools — PoliVisu created heatmap and GIS-based visualization tools that turn raw sensor and real-time traffic data into actionable policy options. The platform was piloted on real urban challenges across 3 European cities. These tools let you offer clients measurable before-and-after comparisons instead of static PDF reports.

GovTech & Public Sector Software
any
Target: Software vendors serving government and public administration

If you are a GovTech company looking to expand into policy analytics for public administrations — this project built and released 3 iterations of software components plus a fully functional platform ready for deployment. The tools connect linked open data with real-time sensor feeds to support 3 stages of the policy cycle: design, implementation, and evaluation. With 9 SMEs in the consortium, the technology was built with commercial viability in mind.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or deploy PoliVisu's platform?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action under Horizon 2020 with open-source components. Based on available project data, many of the tools are built on open data and open-source principles, so initial access may be free. However, customization, integration, and support from the consortium's 9 SME partners would involve commercial arrangements.

Can this scale beyond the 3 pilot cities?

The platform was designed as an open set of digital tools, meaning it was built for reuse rather than being locked to specific city infrastructure. It was tested across 3 cities in 6 countries with different urban challenges, which demonstrates cross-context adaptability. Scaling would require local data integration but the core analytics and visualization components are transferable.

Who owns the intellectual property?

As a Horizon 2020 RIA project, IP typically stays with the partners who created it. The consortium includes 10 industry partners and 9 SMEs who likely hold commercial rights to specific components. Contact the coordinator (Vlaamse Gewest, Belgium) or individual technology partners for licensing terms.

Does it work with existing city data systems?

The platform was designed to work with linked open data, real-time sensor feeds, and standard GIS formats. Based on the deliverables, 3 software releases were made with iterative improvements for technical component integration. This suggests the tools are built to connect with common municipal data infrastructure rather than requiring proprietary formats.

What policy areas does it actually cover?

The project focused specifically on smart mobility and urban planning challenges. It supports 3 stages of the policy cycle — design, implementation, and evaluation — using geospatial data analytics and visualization tools like heatmaps and real-time dashboards.

Is the technology still maintained after the project ended in 2020?

The project closed in October 2020. Based on available project data, the consortium included 10 industry partners who may continue developing commercial versions. The project website (polivisu.eu) and individual partner companies would be the best sources for current status of the tools.

Consortium

Who built it

The PoliVisu consortium of 16 partners across 6 countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, France, Italy, UK) is heavily tilted toward industry with 10 industry partners and a 62% industry ratio — well above average for EU research projects. The 9 SMEs signal that smaller, agile companies drove much of the technical development, which typically means the tools are built with practical deployment in mind rather than purely academic goals. The coordinator is Vlaamse Gewest, the Flemish regional government in Belgium, meaning the project was led by an actual end-user of the technology — a public administration — rather than a university, which adds credibility for real-world applicability. With only 1 university partner, this consortium was clearly oriented toward building usable products rather than publishing papers.

How to reach the team

Vlaamse Gewest (Flemish Regional Government), Belgium — a public administration body. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the project lead's direct contact.

Order a report on this consortiumSee VLAAMSE GEWEST profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to integrate PoliVisu's geospatial policy tools into your smart city or transport planning product? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for licensing, technical integration, or pilot deployment.

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