Technology readiness level, abbreviated as TRL, is a nine-level scale expressing how far a technology is from common deployment. The lower levels correspond to basic research and proof of principle in the laboratory, the middle levels to a prototype validated in a relevant environment, and the highest levels to a system proven in actual operation. Calls use it to define what they fund: research programmes support the lower levels, whereas investment and innovation schemes instead require the solution to be close to market. For the applicant, determining the level is therefore one of the first steps – an intent placed in the wrong band is rejected regardless of quality. The application usually states both the starting and the target level, and the difference between them forms the substance of the project.
See also: Research and development project, Pilot project, EIC Accelerator.
