« We are seeing strong growth in mixed-use parking »

Publication: Le Monde Économique (Switzerland)·Published: 24 August 2023·Section: Headlines · Interview·Photos: C. Simon

Smart Parking is one of the major projects shaping the city of the future. As well as making it easier for drivers to find parking spaces, it offers an effective solution for reducing congestion in densely populated urban areas, helping to cut air and noise pollution. Having managed the decentralisation of paid parking, major European cities, particularly in Switzerland, are now aiming to reinvent their parking facilities using new technologies. An interview with Pierre Guillet, CEO of Hesion.

In urban areas, drivers spend an average of 6 to 14 minutes looking for a parking space, rising to 18 to 20 minutes in major cities. Why is Smart Parking becoming increasingly important?

« Smart Parking » can be defined simply as bringing intelligence to car parks. In this particular context, intelligence means installing sensors that communicate real-time information so that action can be taken immediately, or later following analysis. More broadly, the key question is how these facilities are used. There are already many car parks whose uses are often strictly defined: residential, work, leisure… We are seeing strong growth in mixed-use parking. This is good news! It means car parks can achieve higher occupancy over longer periods.

Welcoming different types of users requires some technology to make access simple and seamless. Ideally, it should be « frictionless », meaning there is no need to fit vehicles with a special device or print tickets, whose environmental impact is highly questionable. This development is essential for two main reasons: new buildings are often planned with no parking, or with far fewer spaces than potential users. The second reason is the gradual reduction in on-street parking spaces in city centres.

With more than 1150 car parks equipped with your systems, Hesion has made Smart Parking its area of expertise. What do your solutions involve?

Hesion’s purpose is expressed as follows: « A passionate team of experts, rooted in technological and local ecosystems, working with today’s and tomorrow’s partners to create and deliver smart, sustainable solutions that address mobility and safety challenges and make everyday life easier for everyone. » With this in mind, we focus primarily on car park access and energy efficiency. All the solutions we offer have been designed and developed by Hesion’s teams over more than 30 years.

In access management, Hesion is a leader in number plate recognition. Our expertise covers both recognition and access rights management, with multiple interfaces to third-party systems. In energy efficiency, Hesion pioneered digital ventilation control and car park air quality monitoring. While the initial focus was on people’s safety, reducing and controlling energy costs has now become equally important.

What benefits can operators and users expect?

Hesion has designed digital solutions that adapt to every possible configuration. We often get involved early in a project to advise customers on available features, many of which are not widely known. Our aim is to put customers at the heart of everything we do, so we listen closely to their needs. Our presence in different regions, mainly Switzerland, France, Spain and Canada, allows us to share ideas from other markets with our customers. In practical terms, the main benefits for operators are increased car park revenue, smoother access, reduced electricity consumption and, finally, analysis of collected data to optimise performance and model car park operations.

What does the future hold for Hesion?

After 25 years of algorithm development, Hesion reached a major milestone by investing in AI and creating its own neural network to identify vehicles. This substantial investment over several years has made us a leader in number plate recognition today.

Our priorities today include strengthening partnerships with other expert, passionate businesses that help us expand our offering. This includes supporting businesses and local authorities with their mobility policies, managing mixed-use car parks with a ticketless digital payment solution, controlling LCD signs to improve communication with users, and dynamically managing energy to meet a car park’s comfort and safety needs while reducing costs. As you can see, we have no shortage of ambitious projects!

How does Hesion approach security and data protection?

Cybersecurity is a major issue. We work within our customers’ security policies, which we must follow strictly. Hesion equips many bank car parks, where these issues are particularly sensitive and where banks are at the forefront of best practice. We therefore have to comply with the specifications provided to us. This does not mean we can overlook the robustness of our own solutions: we also aim to make proactive recommendations. We have commissioned a partner to test the security of our equipment and make recommendations that we incorporate into our designs.

Is Smart Parking leading us towards a revolution in urban parking?

Absolutely, and it is inevitable. This revolution also makes a meaningful contribution to environmental challenges: limiting the construction of new facilities by making better use of existing ones, encouraging the development of mixed-use parking facilities, reducing electricity consumption and promoting resource-efficient mobility solutions.