Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) are a way to assess the maturity of a technology or innovation. TRLs provide a standardized and systematic way to evaluate the readiness of a technology for use in a specific application or market. TRLs are a scale of 1 to 9, with 1 being the lowest level of technology readiness, indicating a concept or idea, and 9 being the highest level of technology readiness, indicating a fully matured technology that is ready for commercialization. Each level of TRL has a specific set of criteria that must be met in order to achieve that level of readiness. These criteria include things like testing in a relevant environment, demonstrating performance and reliability, and validating the technology in a real-world setting.

1. UNDERSTANDING TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL (TRL)
Alok Nikhil Jha
alok@iiitd.ac.in
Office of Development and Resource
Generation, IIIT Delhi

2.  What is the relevance of your Research?
 What is the outcome and future of your research projects, Ideas?
 Will anybody use it? Who, why and how?
 Can it be used for any other similar areas/domains?
 Is your research industry friendly or can we take your ideas to
industry/companies?
 When is the right time to think of building a venture from your tech ideas?
Setting the Context
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3. How can we make our research more valuable?
The Plan
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Process of transferring knowledge/technology/product from an inventor to other
organization/entity or from one purpose to other.
Technology Transfer & Commercialization

4. How to we determine
o When a research solution is ready to help us solve a challenge?
o When a research is appropriate for commercialization?
o What do end users/stakeholders think of adapting our research ideas?
o When should it go from the lab to the field testing?
o When it is ready for full implementation?
How to evaluate research
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5. Measure for systematically communicating the readiness of new technologies or new
applications of existing technologies
Assessment tool helpful through out the life of a Research Project/idea
 Measures the Maturity Level of a Technology
 Defines the Stage and Growth of a Technology
 Helps to Plan the Development of a particular technology
 Take specific decisions regarding technology
 9 Phases to define the stage of Technology
Technology Readiness Level or TRL Scale
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6. Technology Readiness Level Scale
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7.  General understanding of technology status;
 Risk assessment and management;
 Decision making with respect to technology funding;
 Decision making with respect to technology transfer
 A scale to measure maturity of the technology and plan a path
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TRL Approach – A useful tool

8. 1. Lowest level of technology readiness, Basic research
2. Scientific research begins to be translated into applied research and development (R&D)
3. Scientific knowledge generated
4. Literature studies
Examples –
1. Paper studies of a technology’s basic properties,
2. Study of observation of physical world systems
3. Development of basic use case, basic properties of software architecture
4. Mathematical formulations, and general algorithms
Level 1: Basic Principals Observed
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9. 1. Invention stage, applied research activities
2. Focus more toward solving specific problems
3. Potential system applications are identified,
4. Applications are speculative, there may be no proof or detailed analysis to support assumptions
Examples –
1. Experimental work to corroborate scientific observations
2. Research studies and experiments and analysis
3. Analytical studies, publications
Level 2: Technology concept formulated
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10. Work has moved beyond the paper phase to experimental phase to verify the concept works as
expected on simulants
1. Active R&D is initiated, explore scientific feasibility
2. Includes analytical studies and laboratory-scale studies to physically validate the analytical
predictions of elements
3. Development of limited functionality to validate critical properties and predictions
4. Components of the technology are validated individually
5. PoC presents a strong case that the project’s idea, technology, device, process or program is
feasible & likely to succeed
Examples –
1. Modeling and simulations
2. Research studies and experiments and analytical Publications
3. Basic POC
Level 3: Experimental Proof of Concept
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11.  Level 1: Seeking completely new ideas, Knowledge
and understanding of something observed in physical,
biological or social world
 Level 2: Prove the idea/technology
 Level 3: PoC presents a strong case that the project’s
idea, technology, device, process or program is feasible
& likely to succeed
Basic Research - TRL Scale 1 to 3
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12. TRL 4 is the first step in determining whether the individual components will work together as a
system
1. Lab-scale demonstration (“low fidelity”) proving basic research
2. Basic technological components are integrated to establish that they will work together
3. A primitive form with regard to efficiency and robustness
Examples/Outcomes –
1. Prototypes developed to demonstrate different aspects of eventual system.
2. A product implementation plan document, with components identification
3. A breadboard based prototype
Level 4: Technology Component Validation in Lab
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13. At TRL 5 we determine whether our technology works when components integrated in simulated
setting
1. Basic technological components are integrated to establish that they will work together in
simulated operational environment
2. Increased fidelity of the system
3. Technology prototype implementations conform to target environment
Examples/Outcomes –
1. A brass board based prototype
2. Algorithms running on processor with realistic characteristics
3. Ascertain behavior in expected operational environment
4. Find the behavior of test results and expectations and evaluate problems and refinements
Level 5: Technology Component Validation in Environment
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14. TRL 6 begins true engineering development of the technology as an operational system
1. System integrated with support elements, and prototype design is created
2. Prototype system is tested in a relevant environment
3. Ensure prototype is able to fulfill all functions required in operational system
Examples/Outcomes –
1. Prototypes developed to demonstrate different aspects of eventual system.
2. Software demonstrated on realistic problems
Level 6: Technology Demonstration in Relevant Environment
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15.  Level 4: Basic research is proven out in a practical
controlled lab environment
 Level 5: Individual component/functions of the
system tech is tested
 Level 6: Integrated component of the system is tested
in the real environment
Applied Research and Development– TRL Scale 4 to 6
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16. At TRL 7 demonstration of system/technology is performed
1. Demonstration of an actual system prototype in a real operational environment
2. Prototype system is tested in a relevant environment
3. Ensure prototype is able to fulfill all functions required in operational system
Examples/Outcomes –
1. Full scale prototype deployment in real scenario
2. Testing and analysis of the technology
3. Final design ascertained based on feedback in operational environments
Level 7: Prototype Demonstration in Operational Environment
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17. TRL 8 represents end of true system development
1. Technology has been proven to work in its final form and under expected conditions
2. All functionality tested in simulated and operational scenarios.
3. We ensure system components form and function-compatible with each other and with the
operational environment
Examples/Outcomes –
1. Completion of software application with all documents – training, maintenance etc
2. Hardware product is ready to be scaled
Level 8: Actual System Proven in Operational Environment
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18. 1. Actual application of the technology in its final form and ready to scale
2. System fully operational
3. Technology Adoption
Level 9: System Complete and Qualified
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19.  Level 7: Prototype demonstrated and tested in
Actual Environment
 Level 8: System tested and demonstrated in
complete realistic and operational environment
 Level 9: System complete and ready for adoption
and scaling up
Implementation & Deployment – TRL Scale 7 to 9
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20.  Is the key concept outlined?
 Is the system components tested and are they integrated or tested in silo?
 Is technology demonstrated in the final form (in a target system)?
 Is technology demonstration in the relevant environment (field conditions)?
 What is the target performance/efficiency level (technically and economically)?
 What is currently achieved performance/efficiency?
 What are the materials involved and what is their availability?
 Is infrastructure available for deployment for this technology?
 What are the main barriers impeding the higher performance? … etc.
Assigning & Scaling Up TRL Levels – Some of the questions to ask
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21.  An R&D group in a company developed the design and built a
prototype of a new car engine for unmanned cars.
 It has been through a set of comprehensive lab tests, which provide
excellent results in terms of system performance.
 What technology readiness level can be assigned to this development?
 TRL 2
 TRL 4
 TRL 6
 TRL 8
Example
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22.  An R&D group in a company developed the design and built a
prototype of a new car engine for unmanned cars.
 It has been through a set of comprehensive lab tests, which provide
excellent results in terms of system performance.
 What technology readiness level can be assigned to this development?
 TRL 2
 TRL 4
 TRL 6
 TRL 8
Example
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23.  Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) - Define manufacturing readiness
and risk at the system or subsystem level
 Integration readiness Level (IRL) - Measures the integration maturity
between two or more components
 System Readiness Level (SRL) – Defines readiness of technology and
integration of components to form a system
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Other Readiness Levels

24. Map Your Research
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http://tiny.cc/techtr

25. Thanks
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