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Pilot line

A pilot line is a pre-commmercial production line that produces small volumes of new technology-based products, or employs new production technology, as a step towards the commercialisation of the new technology.

Pilot lines help bridge the gap between research and commercialisation. This gap stems from the following factors.
 * New technology that has been proved only in a laboratory, usually is not ready yet for application.

Pilot lines have two major functions.
 * They promote learning and provide information about technology at a higher level of sophistication than in laboratories, that is, when the technology is integrated in an early prototype and tested in an environment that is representative of the final operating environment.
 * Risk reduction.

In terms of the Technology Readiness Level framework, pilot plants validate production technology at levels TRL5-6: validation and demonstration of technology in a relevant environment.

Terminology
A word similar to pilot line is pilot plant. Essentially, pilot plants and pilot lines perform the same functions, but 'pilot plant' is used in the context of (bio)chemical and advanced materials production systems, whereas 'pilot line' is used for new technology in general.