TRL is more than an administrative number

Technology readiness level is often treated as just another column to fill in on a report. Its real purpose is to help decide what to do next: what hasn't been proven yet, and what evidence is needed.

In stage-gate practice, TRL is read together with manufacturing, regulatory, and market readiness. A technology can sit at a high TRL and still not be commercially viable if its cost structure is still unknown.

That is why every priority portfolio item is asked to build out evidence, not just raise a number. The decision to continue, pivot, or stop is made from that evidence.