OnTrack · Project

Tracked Forest Machine and Soil Monitoring System That Cut Ground Damage by Up to 70%

environmentTestedTRL 7

Imagine driving a heavy truck across a wet field — you'd leave deep ruts everywhere, wrecking the soil. That's exactly what happens when conventional forestry machines haul timber across soft ground. OnTrack built a rubber-tracked timber transporter that spreads its weight like a snowshoe, cutting soil damage by 40 to 70 percent. They also created a sensor system that watches the ground in real time and flags when machines are doing too much damage, so operators can adjust before it's too late.

By the numbers

40-70%

Reduction in wheel rutting and soil disturbance compared to conventional forwarders

Consortium partners

Countries in consortium (DE, FI, IT, LV, NO, SE)

67%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

3 years

Expected time to market from project start

Industrial partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Conventional wheeled forestry machines cause severe soil damage when operating on soft or wet ground, creating deep ruts that destroy forest ecosystems, block water drainage, and restrict future site access. This forces contractors to limit operations to dry seasons, reduces machine utilization rates, and creates costly remediation requirements — while forest owners and certification bodies have no reliable way to measure or enforce soil protection standards during harvesting.

The solution

What was built

The project built two things: (1) A prototype rubber-tracked timber forwarder designed for low ground pressure and high travel speed on soft soils, confirmed as constructed in the deliverables. (2) An automatic sensor-based monitoring system that geo-references ground disturbance from forest machines in real time — described as the first operational system of its kind.

Audience

Who needs this

Forestry contractors operating on soft or wet soils who lose working days to ground conditionsForest machine manufacturers looking to differentiate with low-impact technologyForest owners and land managers needing to document soil protection complianceForestry certification bodies (FSC, PEFC) seeking objective ground damage measurement toolsPulp and paper companies wanting more consistent year-round wood supply from their sourcing areas

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Forestry and Timber Harvesting

SME

Target: Forestry contractors and logging companies operating on soft or wet soils

If you are a forestry contractor losing working days because your wheeled forwarders can't operate on soft ground without causing unacceptable rutting — this project built a rubber-tracked forwarder that reduces soil disturbance by 40 to 70 percent compared to conventional machines. That means longer operating seasons, fewer site access restrictions, and less money spent on ground repair after harvest.

Forest Certification and Land Management

any

Target: Forest owners, certification bodies, and land management agencies

If you are a forest owner or certification body struggling to enforce soil protection standards during timber harvesting — OnTrack developed an automatic sensor system that monitors and geo-references wheel rutting in real time. This is the first operational system of its kind, letting you set damage thresholds, verify contractor compliance, and document environmental performance with hard data instead of visual inspections.

Forestry Machine Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of forestry equipment and heavy off-road machinery

If you are a forestry equipment manufacturer looking to expand into markets where soil sensitivity limits conventional machine access — OnTrack's rubber track technology and ground monitoring system were designed for limited serial production at project end. Licensing or co-developing this proven technology could open new customer segments in Nordic, Baltic, and Central European wet-soil forestry markets across 6 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to acquire or license the OnTrack Forwarder or Monitor technology?

The project's EU contribution amount is not available in the dataset, and no specific unit pricing was published. Since the forwarder was designed for limited serial production, pricing would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium's industrial partners. Based on available project data, you should contact the manufacturing partners for commercial terms.

Can this work at industrial scale for large forestry operations?

The OnTrack Forwarder was explicitly designed for operational use, not just lab testing. The project objective states that both innovations would be ready for fully operational testing and limited serial production by project end. With 6 industrial partners in the 9-member consortium, the design was built with manufacturing scale-up in mind.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

IP rights sit with the consortium led by NIBIO (Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research) and its 9 partners across 6 countries. The consortium includes 6 industry partners and 2 SMEs who were involved in building the prototype. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator or relevant industrial partners.

Does this meet environmental regulations and forestry certification requirements?

The OnTrack Monitor was specifically designed to help forest owners and certification bodies set and enforce damage thresholds. The system geo-references ground disturbance data, providing documented evidence of environmental compliance. This directly supports standards like FSC and PEFC that require soil protection during harvest operations.

How proven is this technology — is the prototype actually built?

Yes. The project deliverables confirm that a prototype OnTrack Forwarder was constructed. The project ran as an Innovation Action from 2016 to 2018, and the objective stated both innovations would be ready for operational testing and limited serial production at project end. Marketing was expected within 3 years from the 2016 project start.

Can the monitoring system integrate with existing forestry fleet management?

The OnTrack Monitor uses sensors to automatically record geo-referenced ground disturbance data during forest operations. Based on available project data, the system was designed as an operational tool, not a research prototype. Integration specifics with existing fleet management software would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The OnTrack consortium is strongly industry-oriented, with 6 out of 9 partners (67%) coming from industry, backed by 3 research organizations — a setup that signals serious intent to commercialize rather than just publish papers. The partnership spans 6 countries (Germany, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Sweden), covering the major European forestry markets from Scandinavia to the Baltics. The coordinator NIBIO is Norway's national bioeconomy research institute, giving the project scientific credibility, while the 2 SMEs and 4 larger industrial partners bring manufacturing and market access. This geographic and sector mix is well-suited for a product that needs to work across diverse European forest conditions and regulatory environments.

NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOOKONOMICoordinator · NO
KURATORIUM FUR WALDARBEIT UND FORSTTECHNIK (KWF) GMBHparticipant · DE
LATVIJAS VALSTS MEZZINATNES INSTITUTS SILAVAparticipant · LV
STIFTELSEN SKOGSBRUKETS FORSKNINGSINSTITUT - SKOGFORSKparticipant · SE

How to reach the team

NIBIO - Norsk Institutt for Biookonomi (Norway) coordinated this project. Search for OnTrack project coordinator at NIBIO for direct contact.

Order a report on this consortium See NIBIO - NORSK INSTITUTT FOR BIOOKONOMI profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the OnTrack team to discuss licensing the forwarder or monitor technology? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your needs.

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