iNEMI Roadmap Taxonomy
Roadmap topic hierarchy
Each topic can have a hierarchy of subtopics. More than two levels of topcis and subtopics are possible, but generally only the topic has a multi-page summary overview of the roadmap content.
Topic overview provides a top-level summary and narrative of the content for the topic. It should be less than 20 (A4/letter) pages in length. Tables list the other items of roadmap content for the topic and show the relationships between them.
Subtopics should be presented as separate sections in the topic overview page; subtopic pages should be little more than tables of the associated roadmap content. Narrative is given only at the topic level.
Drivers can be market-related, application-related, or technological.
Hierarchy of topics, subtopics and drivers
Organization of the basic roadmap elements
Basic elements in the iNEMI Roadmap are the building blocks for the entire roadmap. As well as the drivers discussed above, these elements include technical needs, technology status, gaps, challenges, and solutions.
Technical needs and associated elements
Technical needs are grouped together under the banner of a technology issue. Each need has an assoicated status, gap (between today’s capability and that current or future need) and challenge.
Hierarchy of needs, status, gaps and challenges, across a 10-year timeframe
Some defintions:
Technology issue – this is a broad grouping of related technical needs. It is little more of a tagline.
Need 20yy – technical need in year 20yy.
Technology status – do we have a solution today for the need in year 20yy? The color coding is given below
Gap – difference between today’s technology capability and future need.
Challenge – why is it hard to meet the technology need.
Technology status legend
In-table color + label key | Description of Technology Status |
|---|---|
Solutions not known | Solutions not known at this time |
Solutions need optimization | Current solutions need optimization |
Solutions deployed or known | Solutions deployed or known today |
Not determined | TBD |
Solutions
Technology solutions are grouped under a given technology issue and so can be related to the technical needs and gaps for the same technology issue. However a technology solution might or might not address well any given need or gap. The topic narrative should explore this relationship.
Readiness levels are qualitative assements of the expected level of maturity of a given technology. The iNEMI Roadmap provides estimates of the evolution of a solution’s readiness levels over a ten-year time frame.
Technology solutions associated with a given technology issue. Also includes either expected technology or manufacturing readiness levels.
Both technology readiness levels (TRLs) and manufacturing readiness levels (MRLs) are used, based on standard industry definitions. For simplicity, the iNEMI Roadmap uses only one of TRLs and MRLs for any given technology:
MRLs are used where the technology is a electronics component or system to be manufactured.
TRLs are used where the technology solution is manufacturing equipment or manufacturing technology.
This is discussed in further detail here.
Readiness levels color coding
A coarse-granularity color coding scheme is used with TRL and MRL labels within the iNEMI Roadmap:
In-table color key | Range of readiness levels | Description |
|---|---|---|
2 | TRL: 1 to 4 | Levels involving research |
6 | TRL: 5 to 7 | Levels involving development |
9 | TRL: 8 to 9 | Levels involving deployment |
As well as providing a quick visual means of inspecting the solution tables, this color coding sidesteps the low level of certainty with with the selection of any given TRL or MRL level and should be relatively accurate.