Appendix2.6

to the Application Rules of Procedure being part of „ARP Innovation Pitch”

TRL Technology Readiness Levels

Definitions according to the Science Financing Act / TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVELS
Basic research– original experimental or theoretical surveys performed mostly to learn about the basics of certain phenomena or observed facts without setting aims at the practical use of them. / Level I –basic ideas of a phenomenon have been observed and described. At this level the scientific research starts to make use of the results in further works. Also, it is research on basic properties of the future technology.
Industrial research- the research performed to acquire new knowledge and skills in order to develop new products, processes and services or to improve the existing products, processes and services. This research consists in creating and identifying the elements of complex systems, especially for assessment the usability of certain technologies excluding prototypes built to experiment on during the development process. / Level II –the concept of the technology and its future use have been set. From then on, the researchers work on the potential use of the technology. Once the basic rules of the new technology are stipulated, they can foresee its practical use. There is still no evidence or detailed analysis confirming the assumptions made.
Level III – the crucial functionality and concept of the technology has been analytically and experimentally confirmed. It means performing analytical and lab research to confirm the scientific forecast on the selected components of the technology. These are elements that are not yet integrated with each other or are not representative for the technology as a whole.
Level IV –the components of the new technology or its subsystems have been scientifically verified in the laboratory. It means that basic technology components have been integrated. These is also ad hoc integration of models in the lab. A general blueprint of the target system has been drawn.
Level V –basic components or subsystems have been verified in the close-to-real-life environment. Basic technology components are integrated with real-life supporting elements. Now the technology can be tested in the simulated operational conditions.
Level VI –a prototype or a system or subsystem model has been demonstrated in close-to-real-life conditions. It means that a representative model or a system prototype has been tested positively in close-to-real-life conditions and it is more advanced then the models tested in level V. This level research includes testing a prototype in close-to-real-life lab conditions or in simulated operational conditions.
Development works – acquiring, integrating and using the available knowledge and skills in the fields of science, technology and economy and other knowledge and skills needed for production planning and creating new and/or improved products, processes and services, in particular:
a.making designs, drawings, blueprints and other documentations for creating new products, processes and services, provided they are not intended to be commercially used;
b.making prototypes with the potential of being commercialised and introducing the projects when the prototype is the commercial end product and its production only for presentation or validation purposes is too costly.
If the prototypes are to be commercialised, all the income generated from it within the three years of its introduction should be subtracted from the amount of eligible costs (up to the limit of financing set for the given prototype with a commercial potential);
c.the activity related to experimental production and testing products, processes and services, provided they are not intended to be commercially used. / Level VII –the prototype has been demonstrated in operational conditions. The prototype is almost at the level of an operational system. The project at this level is way more advanced than at level VI and requires demonstration that proves it to be usable in operational conditions. Level VII research include testing prototypes on so called research platforms.
Level VIII –the tests have been completed and the final version of the technology has been demonstrated. It means that the target level has been achieved and the technology is ready for operation in the conditions intended for it.
Practically, this level ends demonstration. The demonstrated examples encapsulate the research and the assessment of the systems in order to confirm the fulfilment of the project assumptions including the assumptions related to the logistic security and staff training.
Level IX –technology has been tested successfully in real-life conditions. It is a proof that the technology is complete and ready to be implemented in the target system.It also applies to the use of the newly designed systems in real-life conditions.