A Tool For Technology Transfer Evaluation: Technology Transfer Readiness Levels (TTRLs)

Paper number

IAC-07-E5.1.02

Author

Ms. Laura Holt, European Space Agency (ESA)/ESTEC, The Netherlands

Year

2007

Abstract

This paper describes the use of an adapted form of Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) to evaluate and monitor the transfer of technologies developed at the European Space Agency (ESA) to non-space, commercial, applications. This leads to the introduction of Technology Transfer Readiness Levels (TTRL).

TRL is used to asses the maturity of evolving technologies in the process of incorporating them into a system. Initially, technologies are generally speaking not suitable for use in an application. Technologies are subjected to experimentation, refinement and testing before practical use. TRL provide a tool for monitoring this evolution. It is currently the tool used by the European and United States space programmes for assessing if and when a new technology will be suitable for use in a space application. This allows the newest and most suitable technologies to be incorporated into the programmes at an appropriate time. The TTRL process proposed aims to provide a similar tool for the technology transfer process.
The root causes of difficulty in managing the successful transfer of technology lay in identifying an appropriate application for the technology and then adapting it accordingly. In addressing these difficulties the traditional TRL system goes some way towards providing a tool for monitoring the transfer process in terms of technical adaptation of the technology. However, they do not address some critical technology transfer barriers which are present for non-space applications such as whether the technology is both affordable and sustainable in the new application in addition to whether the transfer is manageable in terms of collateral effects such as changes to infrastructure of the technology receiver.
This paper presents the TTRL, their relation to TRLs and illustrates using examples from the ESA technology transfer programme how they can be used as a tool for promoting an efficient technology transfer programme. 

Abstract document

IAC-07-E5.1.02.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-07-E5.1.02.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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