Test Beds are innovation centres which work with the companies responsible for operating them as well as the companies and start-ups they provide services to.
What does this partnership mean?
The development of experimentation and testing activities for new products and/or services that are ready to reach a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of between 5 and 9, with a strong associated digital and/or virtual/digital simulation component.
What does TRL mean?
These are the Technological Maturity Levels of a given technology throughout the various stages of technological development, and are expressed on a scale of 1 to 9.
What does each level of the TRL scale mean?
To determine the TRL, we analyse the position of the technology on the scale. Each level determines the existence of consistent reference information so that anyone can understand the evolution of the technology, regardless of their expertise on the subject.
Level 1 (lowest) corresponds to the start of research, while level 9 (highest) concerns the operationalisation or commercialisation of the technology, system or technological solution in question.
How can a Test Bed help your company?
TRLs 1 to 4 tend to be worked on by the Academy, companies prefer to work with TRL 7 to 9. Therefore, TRLs 4 to 6 represent a gap between academic research and industrial commercialisation. This gap is colloquially referred to as the “Valley of Death” of Innovation because it is precisely at these levels that many products hit a dead end.
Some reasons include the need for investment and specialised knowledge, lack of connection between the Academy and the Companies, clash of “cultures”, among others.
The tech giants have the capacity to fund R&D and work all TRLs, but most companies (SMEs and Start-ups) cannot afford the large investment nor do they have the specialised skills that this approach requires.
Several initiatives are implemented around the world to face the “valley of death” of innovation, in Portugal the following stand out:
What are the benefits for SMEs and Start-ups?
By resorting to one, SMEs and Start-ups have access to several benefits that can be decisive in the competitive advantage of their product or service. The considerable reduction of risk in the “Valley of Death” of Innovation is noteworthy.
See also Visabeira I&D’s initiative, the ViTEB Test Bed.
For more information, please contact Visabeira I&D via email visabeiraid@grupovisabeira.com.