During the ITS European Congress in Istanbul, 27-29 April 2026, the ERTICO Innovation Platform, Enhancing Automated Valet Parking (EAVP), was showcased across three complementary settings, underlining a clear message: automated parking is moving from concept to deployment, and interoperability is central to making it work for users, cities and industry alike. As with many themes in the CCAM space, the technology is ready; it just needs the non-competitive space to align standards to make it happen.
A core focus on practical innovations and operational perspectives
The week began with a joint live-streamed webinar from the demonstration area, bringing together partners from the ZEV-UP Project, EvoRoads Project, FRODDO Project and EAVP.
The session highlighted practical innovation in Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility, urban mobility and electric vehicle solutions, with an electric light delivery vehicle, (real-time, remotely operated from the ERTICO stand), demonstration supported by 5G in the background. Contributions from María Alonso Raposo, George Christou, Emin Aliyev and Alastair Kitson reflected both the strategic direction and the delivery focus needed to bring these solutions closer to market.
This momentum continued in Special Interest Session 16: “Automated Vehicle Parking (AVP) as the key for sustainable parking management”. The session brought together four perspectives from across the value chain: ERTICO’s platform overview, the European Parking Association’s market and operational perspective, SKIDATA’s focus on deployable hardware and software, and Ford Otosan’s view on use cases beyond private cars.
The case for EAVP is practical and strategic – stats show around 80% of a driver’s itinerary involves parking, while 30% of urban traffic is linked to searching for a space. With 100% of new cars expected to be connected by 2030, and guided parking able to save up to 35 minutes per trip, the opportunity is significant. EAVP addresses this by aligning OEMs, mapping providers and parking operators around a shared deployment pathway and common standards.
Aligning future priority actions through ERTICO's contributions
ERTICO’s role is to enable that alignment by supporting priority deployment actions, developing standards and related legislation, aligning roadmaps, ultimately culminating in real-world deployment. The platform links connected parking, indoor guidance and traffic circulation planning, helping cities reduce circulating traffic, improve safety, support dynamic pricing and make better use of parking assets.
The European Parking Association highlighted the sector’s transition “from ticketless to driverless”, including IoT integration, LPR/ANPR, AI applications and APDSv5. SKIDATA demonstrated that much of the required infrastructure can be built on existing systems, modernised where necessary, and emphasised the value of information availability to improve convenience and reduce search traffic. Ford Otosan extended the discussion to commercial vehicles, where automated parking can support logistics hubs, port terminals, reverse parking and depot operations, with benefits including time savings, fewer incidents, support for driver shortages and higher space efficiency.
EAVP also featured in the ITS Arena, where it was presented alongside CERTAIN and SYNERGIES projects. Together, the three initiatives illustrated a shared pipeline: scenario development, safety assurance and real-world automated vehicle deployment. This connection matters. It shows how ERTICO helps connect research, validation and implementation across the European mobility ecosystem.
The roadmap is now becoming real, with EAVP Tier 1 supplier Valeo targeting 3,000+ mapped facilities in 2026, a platform proof of concept in late 2026, and a citywide demonstrator in 2027. For cities, operators and OEMs, the business case is increasingly clear: shared standards reduce fragmentation and integration costs, while connected automated parking improves user experience and supports more efficient, sustainable urban mobility systems. Interested in being one of the partners setting the standards? We would love to have you on board with our journey.