Catching the scientific debris

As the US dismantles its basic research engine, it creates a global crisis and a singular opportunity for India

- AJAY SHAH & PRALHAD BURLI

Societies need to create "innovation systems" through which the raw talent of researchers is organized, funded, and channeled. A valuable framework is the Technology Readiness Level (TRL). This concept (from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or Nasa) categorises the maturity of a technology from its conception to its deployment. TRL 1 is the establishment of basic principles. TRL 2 is the formulation of a technology concept. TRL 3 is an experimental proof-of-concept. These early stages, TRL 1-3, constitute basic and early-stage applied research. The middle stages, TRL 4-6, involve validating components in a laboratory, then in a relevant environment, moving from a "breadboard" setup to a functional prototype. This is the core of applied research & development (R&D). The later stages, TRL 7-9, move on to the actual system being proven, eg to a commercial product or deployed system.

This categorisation is not merely academic. Different TRLS require different kinds of organisations and funding mechanisms. For technologies at TRL 7 and above, the path to a market is clear. Private capital is available to fund this late-stage development and commercialisation. The risk is modest, the payoffs are understood, and timelines are relatively short. The problem lies in the early stages. For TRL 1-6, private funding is scarce. This is the zone where government funding must step in.