The parking management market is gaining momentum: The publicly listed Smart Parking Group announces the founding of Smart Parking AG.

The expansion into Switzerland aims to expand and strengthen the global company’s market position in Europe. Additional subsidiaries already exist in the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany.

For 30 years, Smart Parking has been offering effective parking management solutions with market-leading technologies for the planning, development, and management of parking spaces.

These include solutions for sensor technology, automatic license plate recognition (ANPR), mobile apps, and cloud systems for optimising parking space utilisation. These enable customers to manage their parking spaces efficiently and profitably.

“Our vision is to make parking stress-free, time-saving, and resource-efficient,” explains Rainer Artelt, Managing Director of Smart Parking AG in Zug. “With our solutions, we not only want to improve the everyday lives of drivers in Switzerland, but also offer parking lot owners the technologies they need to perfect their valuable parking space.”

Smart Parking makes the entire investment in the technical equipment, greatly benefiting parking lot owners. The technologies used enable parking lot operators to generate secure income and revenue increases without maintenance or follow-up costs. Clients also benefit from more free parking spaces for their own customers by reducing illegal and unauthorised parking.

Paul Gillespie, CEO of the Smart Parking Group, adds:

“We have a strong focus on sustainable, long-term growth. Therefore, we are confident that by establishing an independent branch in Switzerland, we can further expand our position in the industry and maximise our growth potential. In doing so, we fully address the specific, local needs in Switzerland.”

The company works closely with industries such as retail, hotels, hospitality, tourism, leisure, medical facilities, real estate, airports and train stations, and plans to implement a large number of projects in Zurich, Bern, Basel, and Lausanne.

The company has been busy building the business with team members from the areas of sales, service, data research, parking planning and sustainability, and marketing.

Final thoughts

The establishment of Smart Parking AG in Switzerland marks a strategic and timely expansion for the Smart Parking Group, aligning with key trends shaping the European and global parking management industry. As urbanisation continues to rise and smart city initiatives gain momentum, demand for intelligent, automated parking solutions is accelerating across multiple sectors — from retail to real estate.

By leveraging proven technologies such as ANPR, IoT-enabled sensors, and cloud-based analytics platforms, Smart Parking positions itself at the forefront of this transformation. The group’s model — which includes full investment in infrastructure and removes operational burdens from parking lot owners — directly aligns with increasing market demand for asset-light, tech-driven partnerships. According to MarketsandMarkets, the smart parking market is projected to grow from USD 9.1 billion in 2023 to USD 16.4 billion by 2028, driven by the integration of AI, 5G, and data analytics into mobility infrastructure.

Competitors like Parkopedia, APCOA Parking, and EasyPark have also expanded aggressively across Europe, often with a focus on digital payments and user-centric app ecosystems. However, Smart Parking’s vertically integrated approach, where the company finances and operates the hardware and software stack, offers a strong differentiator — particularly in mid-size urban markets like Switzerland where municipalities and private owners often hesitate to take on high initial CapEx.

Moreover, the emphasis on sustainability, operational transparency, and reducing unauthorized parking supports both environmental and commercial goals — themes central to both EU policy and ESG-conscious investors. The launch of Smart Parking AG not only strengthens the group’s European footprint but also signals a shift toward regionalised service offerings with localised expertise, a model increasingly favoured in tech-driven infrastructure deployments.

In this competitive and fast-evolving market, success will hinge on execution — particularly in building public-private partnerships, securing prime locations, and maintaining technological superiority. If Smart Parking AG can continue delivering measurable ROI to both drivers and space owners, it stands to become a significant force in reshaping how European cities manage one of their most undervalued resources: space.