Lessons Learned in Assessment of Technology Maturity

Maturity is a stage in the technology life cycle where technology is highly competitive and it can (safely) be integrated into products or processes. This article analyzes the most important methods to assess maturity and proposes a method based on their best features. On the one hand, Future-oriented Technology Analysis, an approach that incorporates different decision-taking techniques. On the other hand, Technology Readiness Levels, a quantitative scale used to measure technology’s progress. The proposed approach uses logistic-growth fitting to match technology publication trends to the Technology Readiness Level scale. Three technologies at different maturity levels were successfully tested.