Building smarter, safer roads

Amid rising congestion, pollution and safety concerns across Europe’s road networks, one Maltese start-up is reshaping how cities understand and manage traffic. Greenroads is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence and real-time data to make roads not only safer and more efficient but also more sustainable and inclusive.

“What really struck us,” CEO Claire Ciancio says, “was how urban areas, including Malta, had cameras watching the roads but no real systems to understand what was actually happening. Traffic management was reactive, fragmented and largely manual. We saw an opportunity to change that.”

Greenroads began with a simple but ambitious mission: to provide public authorities with real-time, GDPR-compliant insights into how roads are used by vehicles and also by pedestrians and cyclists. The company’s software analyses live video from existing infrastructure and drone footage to understand traffic flows, behaviours and pressure points. This intelligence allows governments to plan better, make informed policy decisions, reduce accidents and cut emissions.

“One example is pedestrian behaviour,” Ciancio explained. “We studied significant infrastructure upgrades, including new vehicle parking coordinated with walkways and crossings. Our goal was to evaluate whether the investment was effective. Using existing cameras, we meticulously tracked pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle movement for several months, monitoring vehicle flows, pedestrian crossings and walkway usage. The data clearly showed a significant reduction in dangerous pedestrian crossings and consistent use of designated walkways.”   

From an idea to a fast-growing reality, Greenroads’ journey has been significantly shaped by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), particularly through EIT Climate-KIC and EIT Urban Mobility.

Ciancio first encountered EIT at a Social Impact Awards session in 2018, which led to funding through the EIT Climate-KIC programme. These grants allowed for upfront funding and even covered founders’ salaries, enabling the team to fully commit to the business.

“The combination of early financial support, structured mentoring, and a Europe-wide outlook was transformative,” Ciancio says. “We were encouraged to think beyond Malta and position Europe as our business home.”

Greenroads has since grown into a recognised name in smart mobility innovation. In Malta, the company has deployed 16 fixed cameras across key arterial roads. Elsewhere, it works with data-savvy municipalities, one with over 200 data specialists actively feeding back on the platform’s performance. The platform has also been adapted for use with drones, allowing for short-term traffic studies in specific areas, particularly valuable in pre-infrastructure upgrade phases or for temporary interventions.

A standout example of Greenroads’ impact abroad is a collaboration with the City of Ghent, Belgium. Facilitated through EIT Urban Mobility’s RAPTOR Programme, this project gained national media attention and was selected as the ‘Innovation of the Month’ on the EIT Urban Mobility Marketplace. The City of Ghent, working within a European framework, used drones and Greenroads’ AI to analyse traffic patterns, speeds and travel behaviours. Importantly, all video data was anonymised and deleted after processing, ensuring compliance with strict privacy rules.

Our AI-powered tools transform existing infrastructure into intelligent mobility systems

“Ghent is the only major city we know of that is regularly conducting its own drone-based traffic research,” says Ciancio. “It’s a great example of how proactive municipalities can lead the way in smart mobility.”

Closer to home, Greenroads is also leading on ROADEYE, a project developed with the University of Malta, in consultation with Infrastructure Malta, and supported by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation. The initiative aims to integrate multiple datasets to assess road performance and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) that enhance the Maltese road network’s safety and efficiency. Predictive capabilities are being added to simulate the impact of potential rerouting and traffic management strategies.

The company’s technology roots also stretch into EU research initiatives. Greenroads’ core analytics tool was developed under the Horizon 2020-funded MARVEL project and has since been recognised by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar.

The Greenroads team

The company is now part of the PATTERN consortium, an EU-funded collaboration focused on revolutionising infrastructure management through technology and strategic partnerships. The project has already resulted in several pilot programmes, including in Malta, and is contributing directly to Greenroads’ commercial offering.

“Our AI-powered tools transform existing infrastructure, whether fixed cameras or drones, into intelligent mobility systems,” Ciancio explains. “We help cities understand movement types, traffic volumes and vehicle flows in real time. That insight improves planning, reduces congestion and optimises resource allocation.”

Despite this progress, challenges remain. Scaling up a tech-heavy solution across multiple jurisdictions is not easy, especially when each country has its own legal, fiscal and regulatory frameworks. Ciancio hopes to see EIT offer more localised mentoring to help start-ups navigate complex national systems.

However, she remains adamant that innovation ecosystems like EIT’s are vital, especially in smaller markets like Malta.

“Without EIT’s early support, Greenroads wouldn’t exist. We need more of these ecosystems to help local start-ups grow with a global perspective.”

Regardless of the challenges, Greenroads continues to evolve. Its latest product features allow municipalities to conduct short-term studies using their own temporary cameras, lowering the barrier to entry for towns that can’t invest in permanent set-ups.

Ciancio’s advice to budding entrepreneurs is refreshingly pragmatic. “Build what people will pay for upfront. If they’re not paying, they’re just being polite. And don’t be afraid to ask the most talented people you know for help. Risking your idea is better than missing your opportunity.”

From Malta’s arterial roads to Belgian smart city pilots and pan-European research projects, Greenroads is proving that even the smallest states can drive big change through data, innovation  and the will to reimagine mobility from the ground up.

For more information, reach out to the EIT Community RIS HUB Malta at malta@eitcommunity.eu or follow the Linkedin page: EIT Community RIS Hub Country.