Innovation only generates real value when the technology has reached the necessary level of maturity and the organisation has internal processes capable of bringing it safely and efficiently to fruition, as well as sufficient financial resources.
Technological development in highly regulated sectors, such as the aerospace industry, does not follow a linear path. From initial research through to industrialisation, organisations must overcome multiple barriers that determine the actual viability of innovation. In this context, technology readiness assessment has established itself as a critical element in reducing risks and ensuring that solutions reach the market with confidence. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
A technology’s journey typically faces three major hurdles. The first arises during the transition from basic research to experimental development, a phase in which many initiatives fail to progress due to a lack of practical validation in real-world settings. Subsequently, the so-called ‘valley of death’ emerges, where already developed technologies fail to reach the market, not necessarily due to internal limitations, but because of external factors such as regulation, certification costs or a lack of adequate infrastructure. Finally, even when a market and a customer have been identified, the challenge of industrialisation arises, where a lack of resources or capabilities can prevent the solution from being scaled up.
In aeronautics, the process of progressing from basic research and laboratory stages, first to demonstrators tested in real-world and even operational environments, and finally to industrialisation, involves an exponential increase in financial investment at each stage.
Against this backdrop, the systematic assessment of technological maturity becomes an essential tool. It enables a structured analysis of the actual state of a technology, identifies risks at each stage of development, and facilitates strategic decision-making aimed at its evolution. This approach is particularly relevant in environments where security, certification and reliability are key factors.
The Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) constitute the most widely used framework for this type of analysis. Originally developed by NASA and subsequently adopted by European and international organisations, these levels establish a scale from 1 to 9 that allows the degree of development of a technology to be measured, from the basic principles to its operation in real-world conditions. Their application facilitates an objective and comparable assessment, aligning all stakeholders involved in the innovation process.
In this regard, managing technology readiness not only helps to reduce uncertainty, but also optimises resource allocation, prioritises investments and improves development planning. Furthermore, it helps to anticipate the regulatory and operational requirements that will determine when the technology can be brought into service, particularly in sectors such as aerospace, where safety and certification standards are particularly stringent and highly costly.
However, limiting innovation solely to technological development amounts to an incomplete view. In parallel with the advancement of technical solutions, it is essential to apply innovation criteria to organisations’ own internal processes. The continuous improvement of working methodologies, the digitisation of operational workflows and the incorporation of tools that enable a more agile and accurate assessment of technological maturity are factors that directly influence the actual ability to bring an innovation to market.
Integrating these approaches ensures that the assessment of technological maturity is not an isolated exercise, but part of a broader system of knowledge management and decision-making. In this way, the organisation not only develops technology, but also evolves in the way it conceives, validates and implements it.
Innovation, therefore, should not be understood solely as the generation of new ideas or developments, but as the ability to bring those solutions to fruition in the market, supported by robust, efficient and adaptable internal processes. To achieve this, it is essential to integrate methodologies that enable the continuous assessment of technological progress and ensure its maturity at every stage of the life cycle.
In a global environment characterised by rapid technological change and increasingly complex systems, committing to rigorous management of technological maturity, alongside the optimisation of internal processes, is ultimately the key to rigorous and efficient innovation.
