Ethos Smart signs up potential partners for its Parking Management Platform
As part of the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB’s) Small Business Research Unit (SBRI) Future Cities Solutions initiative, Ethos Smart successfully won funding for, and has recently completed, a Phase 1 project confirming the feasibility of its proposed cloud based, linked open data Parking Management Platform.
Ethos is now working on its bid for Phase 2, the development phase, to receive funds to build a demonstrator and develop its commercialisation plans with selected city partners, a number of which have already signed up as potential test-beds.
About the Parking Management Platform
The Parking Management Platform aims to provide the motorist with the means to find, book and pay for off-street parking space, and the city or council with the means to optimise the use of its parking assets, and businesses, especially retail and hospitality, with the means to market promotions to prospective customers (opt in only) linked to their space booking. The platform will also provide an opportunity for entrepreneurial developers to deliver integrated transport apps making use of the city’s linked open data.
Anticipated benefits for motorists include reduced time searching for a space, along with reduced fuel costs; reduced anxiety and frustration when looking to park; increased confidence of a space being available (via booking and enforcement) and reduced range anxiety for the electric vehicle user in particular.
Ethos Smart CEO, Adrian Ulisse, said:
“For the city or council the benefits could include reduced traffic congestion, leading to reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality; improved access for those who most need it, e.g. Blue Badge holders; an increased propensity for shoppers to visit the city centre/high street; improved utilisation of the city’s parking assets; improved services for electric vehicle and car share users, promoting their use; improved provision of open data, helping to stimulating economic activity, and an opportunity to exploit the linking of related data sets to assist in city wide decision making.
For the city resident or other visitors benefits would include an enhanced city-centre experience, due to less congestion and better air quality.”
About the TSB SBRI Future Cities project
The Technology Strategy Board is investing up to £5m in an SBRI Future Cities Solutions competition focused on three specific city challenges; energy, data and transportation. The competition has 2 phases; Phase 1 to explore the feasibility of the ideas proposed (completed March 2014) and Phase 2 to deliver a demonstrator of the proposed technology and a clear plan for commercialisation, the latter being a key outcome for the TSB.
The winners of funding for Phase 2 will be announced on 14 July 2014.
https://www.innovateuk.org/-/future-cities-solutions