Center for Turf Innovation
HomeInnovationCenter for Turf Innovation

Center for Turf Innovation

Redefining the future of turf

At the Center for Turf Innovation (CTI), proudly powered by TenCate, we bring together global expertise, advanced research and a multidisciplinary team to shape the next generation of outdoor surfaces and revolutionize outdoor living, sports and recreational spaces worldwide. Our commitment to rigorous research, factual analysis and innovative technology places us at the forefront of product innovation tailored to user needs, environmental concerns and market demands.

Excellence, Environment, and Equity

Our focus is guided by our core principles — the 3 E's: Excellence, Environment, and Equity through which our Center For Turf Innovation shapes the future of systems.

  • Excellence: Driven by research and real-world testing, CTI creates surfaces that elevate play, comfort, and safety everywhere.

  • Environment: Circular design starts here: recyclable systems, less energy, no infill, lower impact, lasting environmental benefit.

  • Equity: High-quality, safe spaces for all—designed for access, inclusion, and community connection through play.

Athlete performing a high-knee running drill indoors while wearing motion-tracking sensors.
  • High-speed video systems that capture movement with thousands of data points per second
  • 3D motion-capture technology for precise tracking of player movement
  • Inertial Measurement Units worn by athletes for real-world, on-field motion data
  • Integrated force plates to measure ground-reaction forces and impact loading during play
  • Pressure-distribution sensors that reveal how studs and feet interact with the surface during acceleration, turning and braking
Computer screen showing the players' motion for analysis.
  • Finite Element Analysis for predictive modelling of player–surface interaction and injury risk
  • Musculoskeletal modelling to analyse joint behaviour and muscle loading during realistic movements
Close-up of football boots fitted with motion-tracking sensors on artificial turf.
  • A 3,000 m² indoor research environment outfitted with advanced biomechanical and mechanical testing systems
  • In-house manufacturing, allowing rapid prototyping and immediate iterative development directly inside the lab
Soccer player on a training field being fitted with a monitoring strap by a staff member, with a laptop set up on a table nearby.
  • A mobile, high-precision measurement platform that brings CTI’s full testing capability to clubs around the world
  • Used at professional environments such as PSV, enabling real-world testing with players, coaches and sports science staff
Close-up comparison of an athlete’s footwork on two types of artificial turf surfaces, showing the shoe contacting the ground and infill being displaced.
  • Integrated motion analysis, impact data, force measurement and pressure mapping to understand the full picture of player behaviour
  • Both kinematics (what a player does) and kinetics (the forces involved) combined in a single data model
  • Structured perception studies using interviews, surveys, long-term tracking and mixed-method evaluations for authentic player insights
Athlete walking across an indoor artificial turf testing area while wearing motion sensors.
  • Dozens of design cycles in product development, such as over fifty iterations for Pure PT, informed directly by player input and lab findings
  • Continuous refinement through partnerships like the PSV FieldLab, where surfaces are evaluated in real training environments

In essence

CTI brings together motion science, biomechanics, advanced measurement technology, rapid prototyping and real-world validation in a way not found elsewhere in the turf industry. This combination allows CTI to understand player–surface interaction with exceptional depth and to translate that knowledge directly into better, safer and more consistent systems.

This video cannot be loaded without your cookie consent for external media.

TenCate FieldLab at PSV Academy

In 2020, TenCate joined forces with Dutch professional football club PSV. Extending the indoor lab with a field lab at the PSV Academy in Eindhoven. New products that meet the player’s needs, are first installed here for further testing under real-life conditions.