iTRACK · Project

Real-Time Tracking and Threat Detection System for Field Workers in Dangerous Zones

digitalTestedTRL 5

Imagine you're managing a team of aid workers in a conflict zone and you have GPS on their vehicles, sensors on their cargo, and RFID on their supplies — but none of these systems talk to each other. You're flying blind. iTRACK built a single dashboard that pulls all those data streams together, adds AI-powered threat detection, and gives field coordinators early warnings and smart routing to keep people safe. Think of it like a Waze for humanitarian convoys, except instead of avoiding traffic jams, it helps avoid ambushes and security threats.

By the numbers

3,000+

Aid workers killed, injured or kidnapped over 15 years

190

Significant attacks on aid workers in 2014

Significant attacks on aid workers in 2000

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

Total project deliverables

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Every year, hundreds of humanitarian workers are attacked in conflict zones — 190 incidents in 2014 alone, up from 41 in 2000. Organizations already use GPS trackers, RFID tags, and fleet management tools, but these systems operate in silos. Without integrated real-time intelligence, field coordinators cannot anticipate threats, optimize routes, or coordinate effective protection for their people.

The solution

What was built

The consortium built an integrated real-time tracking and decision support system combining GPS, RFID, and sensor data with AI-powered threat identification. Concrete deliverables include a scenario generator for testing threat responses, simulation scenarios for training, and a final evaluation tool demonstration — 32 deliverables in total.

Audience

Who needs this

International humanitarian organizations (ICRC, MSF, UNHCR) deploying in conflict zonesPrivate security firms protecting corporate personnel in unstable regionsOil and gas companies with remote operations in high-risk countriesMining companies operating in politically unstable territoriesGovernment agencies coordinating disaster response and field operations

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Humanitarian logistics and security

enterprise

Target: International NGOs and humanitarian organizations operating in high-risk regions

If you are a humanitarian organization deploying field teams in conflict zones — this project developed an integrated real-time tracking system with AI-powered threat identification. Over a 15-year period, over 3,000 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped, with attacks rising from 41 in 2000 to 190 in 2014. iTRACK provides early warnings, smart routing, and decision support to reduce response times and improve protection.

Private security and risk management

mid-size

Target: Corporate security firms providing protection services for personnel in unstable regions

If you are a private security company managing protective details in high-risk environments — iTRACK developed sensor-based threat identification, real-time fleet tracking, and AI-driven risk analysis integrated into a single decision support platform. The system was demonstrated through simulation scenarios and evaluation tools across a 13-partner consortium spanning 9 countries, giving it cross-border operational validation.

Field workforce management

enterprise

Target: Oil and gas, mining, or construction companies with remote operations in insecure areas

If you are an extractive industry company with operations in politically unstable regions — this project built real-time tracking of personnel and assets with integrated navigation, scheduling, and risk management. The Privacy by Design approach means worker location data is protected while still enabling effective coordination. The system was tested with simulation scenarios and a final evaluation tool demonstration.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement a system like iTRACK?

The EU contribution amount is not available in the dataset, so specific development costs cannot be estimated. However, with 13 consortium partners including 5 SMEs and 7 industry players, the technology was built with commercial viability in mind. Licensing or deployment costs would need to be discussed directly with the consortium partners.

Can this scale to large field operations across multiple countries?

The consortium itself spans 9 countries (ES, FI, FR, IT, LU, NL, NO, UK, US), and the system was designed for multinational humanitarian missions. The architecture integrates GPS, RFID, and multiple sensor streams into one platform, which suggests it was built for multi-site, cross-border operations from the start.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can it be licensed?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action (RIA), meaning IP typically stays with the consortium partners who developed each component. The coordinator is University of Agder in Norway, and with 7 industry partners involved, commercial licensing pathways likely exist. Direct contact with the consortium is needed for specific IP terms.

Does this comply with data privacy regulations like GDPR?

Yes — the project was explicitly built on Privacy by Design principles, which aligns with GDPR requirements. Worker tracking data protection was a core design consideration, not an afterthought. This is critical for any deployment involving employee location monitoring.

How mature is this technology — is it ready to deploy?

The project produced 32 deliverables including a scenario generator, simulation scenarios, and a final evaluation tool demonstration. These are demonstration-level outputs, meaning the system has been tested in simulated environments but would need further piloting before full operational deployment.

Can this integrate with our existing fleet management or security systems?

The system was designed to integrate multiple existing technologies — GPS navigation, RFID inventory management, and fleet management — into a single decision support platform. This integration-first approach suggests it can work alongside existing systems rather than replacing them entirely.

Consortium

Who built it

The iTRACK consortium is well-balanced for moving technology toward the market: 13 partners across 9 countries with a 54% industry ratio, meaning more than half the partners come from the private sector. Five of those are SMEs, which typically have the agility and commercial motivation to bring research outputs to market. The mix of 3 universities, 2 research organizations, and 7 industry players suggests the project combined deep technical research with practical field knowledge. The geographic spread across Europe and the US gives it international validation, which matters for a system designed for global humanitarian operations.

UNIVERSITETET I AGDERCoordinator · NO
TREE TECHNOLOGY SAparticipant · ES
TREELOGIC TELEMATICA Y LOGICA RACIONAL PARA LA EMPRESA EUROPEA SLparticipant · ES
KNOWLEDGE NOW LIMITEDparticipant · UK
PNO Innovationparticipant · FR
WORLD FOOD PROGRAMMEparticipant · IT
TRILATERAL RESEARCH LTDparticipant · UK
NETCOMPANY S.A.participant · LU
SVENSKA HANDELSHOGSKOLANparticipant · FI
NORCE RESEARCH ASparticipant · NO
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

University of Agder (Norway) — reach out through their research partnerships office or security research department

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITETET I AGDER profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how iTRACK's tracking and threat detection technology could protect your field teams? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partners and help evaluate fit for your operations.

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