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Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) at Decision Points

TRLs at Initial Gate

At Initial Gate, teams need to estimate the programme and resources required to ensure that technologies will be suitably mature at the end of the assessment phase.

Achievement of TRL 3 at IG for potential technologies that underpin the Key User Requirements (KURs) allows maturation work on these technologies to be robustly scoped.

During the assessment phase, Technology Demonstrator Programmes (TDPs) offer a good and effective method of increasing the TRL of key technologies.

TRLs at Main Gate

The teams need a high level of confidence at Main Gate that, as a minimum, the Key System Requirements will be achieved to meet the declared In-Service Date (ISD).

Exposure to the operational environment - TRL 7 - reveals the true limitations of a technology or system and therefore allows the project team to make an informed estimate of the programme and resources necessary to achieve ISD. However, achieving TRL 7 before Main Gate is not a fixed target.

The key point is that the technology risk from Main Gate to ISD has to be assessed and then systematically addressed, with trade off options continually reviewed and implemented as necessary.

Technology Planning with TRLs

Teams need to demonstrate to the Approving Authorities that their Through Life Management Plan (TLMP) includes a robust Technology Management plan that will manage technology development through life, including obsolescence and Technology Insertion points.

The Technology Roadmap and project plan should show how the technologies will continue to mature towards ISD and full acceptance.

TRL 8 of the top level system generally aligns with the ISD. This is the full qualification of the technology system. TRL 9 is only achieved once sufficient in-service operational use has been undertaken to validate the technology system. This generally aligns with Full Operating Capability (FOC).

Helping to understand risk

Teams need a good understanding of the risks associated with the integration of technology within their project. The Technology Roadmap helps include integration as a consideration from the earliest phases and ensures it is managed and assessed in support of the major decision points.

Change History

1 September 2010: Minor amendments made.
1 December 2009: Updates to reflect organisational name changes.