Idea Time with Dr. Jo North

TRLs: Accelerating Sustainable Innovation

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Episode notes

Sometimes a promising idea or discovery is so exciting that it's tempting to rush ahead, risking missing key steps along the way. Other times, it's challenging to figure out how to progress the innovation at speed and scale, causing it to get stuck.

In this episode, I explain how Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)—originally created by NASA in the 1970s and now used internationally—provide a valuable framework for identifying and communicating the maturity level of your sustainable innovation. TRLs can help you build a roadmap to ensure your innovation makes the impact you want it to make. Don't let the term 'Technology Readiness Levels' put you off if you're not in tech. TRLs are used for all kinds of sustainable innovations, including new products and services, materials, engineering, medical solutions, and more.

I cover what TRLs are, where they came from and why, how to use them, and most importantly, how to progress your sustainable innovation from an idea to an applied solution that makes a real impact.

For my article on this topic, please go to What are TRLs? Technology Readiness Levels Explained.