TRACKWELL HF

Their core work

TrackWell is an Icelandic private company building technology systems for fisheries monitoring and maritime compliance, operating from Reykjavik — one of Europe's most active fishing hubs. Their flagship H2020 project, TrackIUU, aimed to create the first predictive identification system for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, indicating they develop data-driven tools for fisheries enforcement and regulatory authorities. They also participated in SAF21, a research network examining the social science dimensions of 21st-century fisheries, suggesting their work connects technology with governance and human behavior in fishing systems. Their positioning in Iceland gives them direct operational proximity to the industry problems they address.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 engagement (2015–2018), TrackWell participated in a research-oriented fisheries network (SAF21) in a supporting third-party role, suggesting they were contributing applied industry knowledge to an academic consortium rather than leading technology development. By 2019, they had shifted into a coordinator role with TrackIUU, taking ownership of a technology innovation project under the SME instrument — a clear move from research contributor to product developer. With only two projects the signal is limited, but the direction is unambiguous: from research participant toward independent technology leadership in fisheries compliance.

TrackWell appears to be moving from peripheral research involvement toward commercializing their own fisheries monitoring product, positioning themselves as a technology provider to enforcement and regulatory bodies rather than an academic partner.

How they like to work

TrackWell has operated in both follower and leader roles across their two projects, suggesting a flexible engagement model depending on maturity of the technology. Their 13 unique partners across 9 countries — achieved in just two projects — indicates they engage in well-networked, multi-country consortia rather than small bilateral arrangements. Coordinating a project solo under the SME instrument suggests they are comfortable taking ownership of deliverables and managing project obligations independently.

Despite only two H2020 projects, TrackWell has reached 13 unique consortium partners across 9 countries, indicating broad European engagement rather than a tight national cluster. No repeated partner relationships can be confirmed from this dataset, suggesting their network is still forming.

What sets them apart

TrackWell operates from Iceland — a country whose economy and regulatory infrastructure are deeply intertwined with fishing — giving them credibility and domain access that landlocked or non-fishing-nation competitors cannot easily replicate. Their focus on IUU fishing is a compliance-critical, politically high-priority area for both the EU and global fisheries bodies, meaning demand for their tools comes from regulatory mandates, not just market preferences. For consortia targeting Blue Economy, fisheries sustainability, or maritime surveillance topics, a private technology company with direct Nordic fishing industry exposure is a rare and valuable partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TrackIUU
  Their only coordinated project and sole funded award — an SME Phase 1 feasibility study to build a predictive IUU fishing identification system, making it the core evidence for their technology development identity.
• SAF21
  A Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on fisheries social science spanning 2015–2018, placing TrackWell inside an international academic fisheries research consortium early in their EU project history.