QPARK · Project

Smart Parking Platform With Urban Planning Analytics for Cities and Operators

transportPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you run a parking operation in a busy city and you never really know which spots are full until drivers are already circling the block. This project took an existing smart parking system — sensors in the ground that detect cars plus software that tracks everything — and added a layer that can predict what happens when a big concert or football match hits town. It answers "what if" questions like: if 10,000 people show up downtown on Saturday, where will traffic jam up and which parking zones will overflow? A Portuguese municipality tested the whole thing at full scale.

By the numbers

EUR 100,000

EU contribution for upscaling existing commercial product

Full-scale municipal pilot completed

100%

Industry consortium ratio

SME partner (Ubiwhere) — sole developer and commercializer

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities and parking operators waste resources because they cannot predict how events, construction, or policy changes will shift parking demand across urban zones. Enforcement teams patrol blindly, pricing stays static, and urban planners remove or add parking based on gut feeling rather than data. The result is congestion, lost revenue, and frustrated drivers circling for spots.

The solution

What was built

Ubiwhere built an enhanced version of their existing Smart Parking platform, adding urban planning what-if analysis capabilities powered by tools from the QUANTICOL FET Open project. They completed a full-scale pilot deployment in a Portuguese municipality, including electromagnetic vehicle-detection sensors and the intelligent software platform.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal parking authorities managing on-street and off-street spacesCity planning departments evaluating traffic and parking policy changesPrivate parking operators running multi-site urban operationsEvent venue managers dealing with traffic congestion on event daysSmart city solution integrators building urban mobility platforms

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Municipal parking management

any

Target: City parking authorities and operators

If you are a city parking operator dealing with unpredictable occupancy spikes during events and weekends — this project developed a sensor-based platform piloted at full scale in a Portuguese municipality that tracks real-time occupancy and generates what-if reports showing how events affect traffic and parking demand across different city zones. It helps you plan enforcement routes and pricing strategies before congestion hits.

Urban planning and smart cities

enterprise

Target: City planning departments and consultancies

If you are an urban planner trying to decide whether to remove street parking in favor of bike lanes or pedestrian zones — this platform provides data-driven reports on how changes in parking supply affect traffic flow across the city. The system was built by Ubiwhere, a Portuguese SME already commercializing smart city solutions, and tested in a real municipality setting.

Event venue management

mid-size

Target: Stadium, convention center, and festival operators

If you are a venue operator struggling with traffic chaos around your facility on event days — this system analyzes how sudden increases in people affect city traffic and parking occupancy in surrounding areas. The what-if analysis capability lets you model different scenarios and coordinate with city authorities before the crowds arrive.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this system cost to deploy?

The EU contributed EUR 100,000 to this project, which covered enriching an already-commercial product with urban planning features and running a full-scale pilot. Ubiwhere's base Smart Parking system is described as low-cost and straightforward to install, using electromagnetic sensors. Specific commercial pricing is not disclosed in project data.

Can this scale to a large city with thousands of parking spaces?

The system was piloted at full scale in a Portuguese municipality, which demonstrates real-world deployment capability. The platform is designed to collect and process sensor data city-wide, including analysis of how events affect traffic and parking across different urban zones. Scaling would depend on sensor deployment density.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

Ubiwhere LDA, the sole partner and a Portuguese SME, owns this technology. They were already commercializing the base Smart Parking system before the project started. Contact Ubiwhere directly for licensing or deployment options.

Is this just research or something I can actually buy?

This is not research — it was funded as a Coordination and Support Action (CSA) to upscale an existing commercial product. Ubiwhere was already selling the Smart Parking system before the project. The QPARK project added urban planning analytics on top of the commercial base.

How does this integrate with existing parking infrastructure?

The system uses its own electromagnetic vehicle-detection sensors that are described as straightforward to install. The software platform collects and processes all sensor data, providing real-time occupancy monitoring and behavioral pattern reports. Based on available project data, integration with third-party parking meters or barriers is not detailed.

What makes this different from other smart parking solutions?

According to the project objective, the differentiator is the urban planning what-if analysis layer. While competitors offer occupancy detection, QPARK adds the ability to model how specific events and crowd surges affect traffic and parking across city zones — turning parking data into a city planning tool.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a single-company project: Ubiwhere LDA, a Portuguese SME that is 100% of the consortium. With only 1 partner from 1 country and a EUR 100,000 budget, this was a focused commercialization effort rather than a large research collaboration. The fact that the consortium is entirely industry (100% industry ratio) with no universities or research organizations signals this is a market-driven initiative. Ubiwhere was already selling smart parking before the project, so the EU funding essentially helped them add a competitive feature and validate it in a real municipality. For a potential buyer, this means you are dealing directly with the company that built, owns, and sells the product — no academic middlemen.

UBIWHERE LDACoordinator · PT

How to reach the team

Ubiwhere LDA is a Portuguese SME based in Aveiro, Portugal. They are the sole developer and commercial owner of this smart parking platform.

Order a report on this consortium See UBIWHERE LDA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to Ubiwhere's team to discuss deploying smart parking with urban planning analytics in your city? SciTransfer can arrange a direct meeting with the product team.

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