TRL (Technology Readiness Level) is a measurement system used to assess the maturity level of a technology. It was originally developed by NASA in response to the major issue of risk management and is now widely used.
It uses a scale of 9 maturity levels (9 being the strongest); the higher the TRL of a technology, the more secure and marketable the technology.
Initially created to limit the risks inherent in any innovation project, the tool has been deployed in both the academic and industrial sectors. The TRL scale has now become indispensable for structuring an innovation service or an R&D department.
The 9 levels of the TRL scale
- Basic principle
- Technology concept
- 1st proof of concept
- Creation of a functional model
- Creation of a representative model
- Performance of the model
- Performance of the 1st product produced
- Industrialisation of a qualified product
- Produce
Each level corresponds to a stage of technological maturity. The research or its results can then be classified or grouped according to their TRL.
An example: definitions according to the DoD Department of Defense (source Wikipedia)
| TRL / Technology maturity level | Description |
|---|---|
| Basic principles observed and reported | Lowest level of technological maturity. Scientific research begins to translate into applied research and development. Examples may include paper studies of the basic properties of a technology. |
| Concepts or applications of the technology formulated | The invention begins. Once the basic principles are observed, practical applications can be invented. The application is speculative and there is no detailed evidence or analysis to support this hypothesis. Examples are always limited to paper studies. |
| Analyzed and tested critical function or proof of concept | Active research and development is initiated. This includes analytical and laboratory studies to physically validate the analytical predictions of the individual elements of the technology. Examples include components that are not yet integrated or representative. |
| Laboratory validation of the component or artefact produced | The basic technological components are integrated to establish that all parts work together. This is ‘low fidelity’ compared to the final system. Examples include ad hoc integration of hardware in the laboratory. |
| Validation in a meaningful environment of the component or artefact produced | The fidelity of the technology increases significantly. Basic technological components are integrated with reasonably realistic elements so that the technology can be tested in a simulated environment. Examples include ‘high fidelity’ laboratory integration of components. |
| Demonstration of the system/subsystem model or prototype in a meaningful environment | The representative prototype model or system (well beyond the artefact tested in TRL 5) is tested in a meaningful environment. It represents a major advance in the demonstrated maturity of a technology. Examples include testing a prototype in a “high fidelity” laboratory or in a simulated operational environment. |
| Demonstration of the prototype system in an operational environment | Prototype in a planned system (or about to be planned). Represents a major advance over TRL 6, requiring the demonstration of a prototype system in an operational environment, such as an aircraft, vehicle, etc. Examples include testing the prototype on a test aircraft. |
| Complete real system qualified through tests and demonstrations | The technology has been proven to work in its final form and with the expected conditions. In most cases, this TRL represents the end of the development of real systems. Examples include developmental testing and evaluation of the system to determine if it meets the design specifications. |
| Real system proven through successful operations/missions | Real application of the technology in its final form and under mission conditions, similar to those encountered in operational and evaluation tests. In all cases, this is the end of the final bug-fixing aspects of real systems development. Examples include the use of the system under operational mission conditions. |
