Overview
Technology Readiness Levels are a framework to assess how ready a technology is for a specific use. Several government agencies, including NOAA and NASA, use this framework. The readiness scale runs from 1 (basic research stage) to 9 (fully ready to use).
The Technology Readiness Level framework answers the following questions:
- What is the maturity of a technology for a specific application?
- What are the steps for the technology maturation?
Explore the nine parts of the Technology Readiness Level framework below.
Technology Readiness Levels
Level 1: Basic Research
Basic research, experimental or theoretical work undertaken primarily to acquire new knowledge of the underlying foundations of phenomena and observable facts, without any particular application or use in view.
Level 2: Applied Research
Applied research, original investigation undertaken in order to acquire new knowledge. It is, however, directed primarily towards a specific, practical aim or objective.
Level 3: Proof-of-concept
Proof-of-concept for system, process, product, service, or this tool; this can be considered an early phase of experimental development; feasibility studies may be included.
Level 4: Successful Evaluation of System in Experimental Environment
Successful evaluation of system, subsystem, process, product, service or tool in a laboratory or other experimental environment; this can be considered an intermediate phase of development.
Level 5: Successful Evaluation of System in Relevant Environment
Successful evaluation of system, subsystem process, product, service, or tool in relevant environment through testing and prototyping; this can be considered the final stage of development before demonstration begins.
Level 6: Demonstration of a Prototype
Demonstration of a prototype system, subsystem, process, product, service, or tool in relevant or test environment (potential demonstrated).
Level 7: Prototype System
Prototype system, process, product, service or tool demonstrated in an operational or other relevant environmental (functionality demonstrated in near-world environment; subsystem components fully integrated into system).
Level 8: Finalized System
Finalized system, process, product, service or tool tested, and shown to operate or function as expected within user's environment; user training and documentation completed; operator or user approval given.
Level 9: System Deployed
System, process, product, service or tool deployed and used routinely.
Examples
Example 1: Radar for Avoiding Collisions with Ships
- Level 1: Heinrich Hertz experiments with radio wave reflections from metallic objects.
- Level 2: Christian Huelsmayer applies Hertz's work to the detection of vessels and invents Telemobiloscope.
- Level 3: Huelsmayer's approach is refined, ranging is added, and the first naval vessel is equipped with radar in Germany. Radar is not yet widely adopted.
- Levels 4-6: Motivated by World War II, radar is rapidly advanced by several countries for military purposes. The term radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) is coined.
- Levels 7-8: Radar for collision avoidance is adopted by merchant mariners and is redefined both in terms of technology and operating guidelines.
- Level 9: Radar for detecting ships and avoiding collisions becomes an established tool that is widely available from several manufacturers. This is where we are in 2026.
Example 2: Radar for Avoiding Collisions with Whales
- Levels 2-3: To avoid collisions, whales first need to be detected. The feasibility of radar for detecting whales is evaluated in a limited set of environments, both shore- and vessel-based, and met with mixed success. This is where we are in 2026.
Key Points
Technology Readiness Levels are application specific. In the examples described above, the same technology (radar) is evaluated for two different applications: avoiding collisions with ships and avoiding collisions with whales. The readiness levels are very different for these two applications. Just being commercially available does not mean that a technology is at level 9 for all applications.
There are often additional considerations to a technology's successful use, and multiple technologies may need to be applied to most effectively tackle a complex problem like vessel strike risk reduction. In Example 1 above, a mariner has to act on the information available from the radar in order to successfully avoid a collision with another ship, and radar may need to be augmented with the other devices such as foghorns.
