ASSESSMENT OF TECHNOLOGY MATURITY LEVEL

The development, commercialization and transfer of technologies requires the creation of an innovation infrastructure for close relationships between customers, suppliers and technology companies. Difficulties in the development of innovation and technology management are associated with the absence or poor development of promising methods for managing applied research and development in knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy.

The concept of readiness levels is used to assess the current state of newly developed or acquired technologies and components of complex technical systems. Technology readiness levels allow us to assess how far development has progressed, starting from the idea of its creation. A systematic assessment of the achieved maturity levels makes it possible to identify and reduce at an early stage the risks associated with the untimely implementation of relevant projects and programs and exceeding the budget allocated for their implementation. Taking into account readiness levels, decisions are made on the possibility and feasibility of transferring specific technologies, further continuing research and development work (R&D) and transferring the developed technology to the next stage of the life cycle, and plans are being developed to improve systems, their components and corresponding production technologies. The concept of readiness levels allows for the unification of approaches to assessing the maturity of technologies and making decisions on the application and development of certain critical technologies and components when creating target and supporting systems.

The use of internationally recognized methods and tools for their implementation in the development of high-tech technical products will allow all participants to more effectively participate in the joint development of new technologies, equipment and software. Such unified means are: the methodology for assessing technology readiness levels - TRL (Technology Readiness Levels), the methodology for assessing production readiness levels - MRL (Manufacturing Readiness Levels).

Only with a competent combination of techniques can their use achieve a cumulative effect. For example, if the current assessment of MRL production readiness level is far ahead of the assessment of TRL technology readiness level, this may lead to the launch of crude, insufficiently developed technology, which, in turn, will lead to loss of investment. Conversely, if the current assessment of TRL technology readiness level is far ahead of the assessment of MRL production readiness level, this combination may lead to the launch of low-quality products at an inflated price.

In recent years, R&D grantmakers have changed the balance between technical innovation and commercial potential. We are now in a position of parity where companies must demonstrate both novelty and scalability to be successful. In particular, it now offers innovation loans that support late-stage R&D with a preference for near-commercial products, processes and services. The CRL (Commercialization Readiness Level) method for determining the level of market readiness and commercialization evaluates various indicators that affect commercial and market conditions not only technological maturity. This removes key barriers to support commercialization of the technology. Using several methods simultaneously will allow you not only to assess the prospects of the project, but also to more clearly define its entire niche.

Every day there are more and more theories and methodologies that are used when working with innovation. For example, investment readiness level (IRL - Investment readiness level), system readiness level (SRL - System Readiness Level), logistics readiness level (LRL - Logistics Readiness levels), program readiness level (PRL - Programmatics Readiness Levels).

The TRL technology maturity assessment methodology works best when applied to physical products. Although the principles underlying TRL are broadly applicable, the specifics of the individual layers do not align well with software products and services. The Investment readiness level IRL was created for startups in the same way as TRL. It operates across multiple verticals and contexts, including software products and services, which is TRL's weak point. It is possible that some steps in the TRL and IRL models will not be relevant to your idea; however, their value lies less in creating strict rules and more in providing you and your idea with best practices that will help you understand where your idea is in terms of investment and technology readiness.

An alternative indicator for assessing the maturity level of technologies is the STAM (Science, Technology, Application, Market) model. According to this model, a technology starts with its scientific basis, then develops into a technology that leads to application and, finally, to market entry. The mechanism for knowledge transfer will vary depending on the maturity of the technology at the initial stage of cooperation and the desired final stage of its development.

Why should you strive to acquire technology ?

An organization's motivation to acquire technology depends on what type of technology it is looking for, who makes the decision to acquire it, and the process that follows that acquisition.

 There is a wide range of motives. Basically, they can be divided into the first categories:

 • Development of new technological capabilities

 • Expanding strategic opportunities

 • Increased productivity

 • Responding to the competitive environment.

The development of new technological capabilities is one of the fundamental motivations for acquiring external technologies, driven by the necessity to develop new technological capabilities to fill gaps in the R&D knowledge base. The goal of these acquisitions sometimes lies in closing gaps in the existing product line, while in other cases, it is about creating and implementing a completely new product. This need may arise because specialized technical expertise and capabilities are often hard to obtain, and companies may lack the ability to develop these valuable resource assets internally. This can occur, for example, when a company's technological knowledge approaches depletion, and most possible technological combinations have already been tested.

Increasing strategic options for acquisitions can allow a company to improve its strategic flexibility. Enhancing internal technological capabilities can provide the company with more strategic options, enabling it to choose the best available technology.

Purchases can stimulate innovations by overcoming inertia and rigidity, thereby increasing the productivity of R&D. Relying on the gradual improvement of existing technologies may limit the company's potential. Experiments with new and emerging technologies can provide opportunities for more radical innovations.

Acquisitions can open new markets, allowing the knowledge of new customers, channels, inputs, processes and markets to be exploited.

Acquisitions may help to deal with uncertainty and risk. Companies operating in high-tech industries are often dependent on uncertain future outcomes or developments. In such cases, managers are more likely to avoid risky internal investments in R&D with long term payback periods, investing instead in external technologies as a way of keeping their options open until the risks and uncertainty diminish.

The need to innovate more quickly is another motivation for acquiring technology, as it can reduce time to market. Developing new capabilities internally may take too long or be too expensive. Acquiring technology can create them more quickly so that the firm can be more responsive to market demands. Acquiring technology from outside often has cost advantages. Firms replace fixed investment costs with variable acquisition costs, and these costs can be recouped from profits from new ventures that follow a partnership-based strategy.

Firms are more likely to consider technology acquisitions because the environment becomes more hostile when their market is experiencing rapid technological change and rapidly evolving competition. Technology acquisitions help a firm feel less vulnerable and more competitive. In such an environment, there is likely to be greater use of partnering, collaboration, and outsourcing as a substitute for in-house operations.