Mayor Levine Cava unveils winners of Public Innovation Challenge tasked with elevating the passenger experience at MIA

Today, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, alongside county officials and leaders from Miami-Dade County’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development (OIED), Miami International Airport (MIA), and the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority (MDIA), proudly announced the winners of MDIA’s second Public Innovation Challenge. This challenge continues to prioritize customer service at MIA, showcasing innovative technologies and solutions designed to enhance the airport experience for both passengers and employees.

The showcase featured live demonstrations of the winning technology solutions that will participate in a test program conducted at MIA through fall 2024: RouteMe, which utilizes artificial intelligence to allow a passenger to navigate MIA simply with their phone camera; Signapse (United Kingdom), utilizes Generative AI to deliver text to sign language translation, making digital signage accessible to Deaf passengers at MIA; and Mapsted, which provides airport wayfinding mapping with accessibility features and integration to smart technology devices. 

“As Miami-Dade County’s  leading economic engine, MIA’s success profoundly influences the livelihoods of our local residents and businesses,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “We are making historic investments to ensure our airport is future-ready in order to  provide the highest level of service to our visitors and residents for generations to come. This innovation challenge advances our mission by partnering with visionary innovators to  position MIA as a global leader in sustainability and innovation.”

MDIA, working in collaboration with MIA and OIED, selected the Public Innovation Challenge winners from a competitive pool of 136 local and global technology companies after the challenge’s launch in December 2023. MDIA will invest $100,000 in funding into each company to support testing their technology at MIA with the aim to scale these solutions to airports globally afterwards. The test programs will be conducted during the next three months with the option to extend each to as long as 12 months. 

“As one of the 10 most transited airports in the country and the largest gateway to our community, MIA provides the perfect environment in which to demonstrate that inclusive technology solutions and user-driven innovation are essential to elevating the travel experience,” said Leigh-Ann A. Buchanan, President & CEO of MDIA. “The winners of MDIA’s second Public Innovation Challenge have developed solutions that prioritize the needs of all passengers, including those travelers with different physical and hidden disabilities, to navigate the airport effectively and seamlessly.”

“The Office of Innovation and Economic Development’s mission is to build a future-ready Miami-Dade by emphasizing equity, resilience, and innovation. The Public Innovation Challenge at Miami International Airport is a perfect example of this commitment,” said Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer Francesca de Quesada Covey. “By integrating cutting-edge technology and fostering cross-sector collaboration between our local government and innovators, we enhance the passenger experience and align with our core values of agile, solutions-oriented governance. This initiative not only advances our goal of creating a thriving, inclusive economy but also ensures Miami-Dade remains a global leader.”

Simultaneously, as part of MIA's Future Ready initiatives, the airport is advancing its Modernization in Action Plan, a comprehensive effort that will invest nearly $9 billion in maintenance upgrades and capital improvements over the next 10 years. This plan includes some of the largest modernization projects in MIA's history, such as restroom upgrades, new passenger boarding bridges, renovated elevators, escalators, and moving walkways, the construction of a 2,240-space parking facility, a four-star hotel, and terminal-wide redevelopment projects.

Launched in 2023 with seed funding from Miami-Dade County, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and Citadel Founder and CEO Ken Griffin, MDIA was founded with equal private, public, and philanthropic funding totaling $9 million. The Public Innovation Challenge at MIA is the second of three challenges launched during MDIA’s first year of operations, including a collaboration with PortMiami to enhance cargo visibility, which collectively further its mission to address Miami-Dade’s most urgent needs around health, housing, climate, transportation, and equitable access to opportunity.

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