The option space
Every technology option, including what we ruled out
The 161 options behind the headline, across the ten domains. Every option is shown, adopted or not. Ruled-out options are greyed rather than hidden, because the exclusions are the part that makes the selection method checkable. The wall shows all 161 at once; the register beneath it gives every option its four filter results and the reason for its verdict. What the research concluded from them is in Findings.
Each option is judged against four filters: F1 Sustainability, F2 Scale fit, F3 Self-sufficiency, F4 Maturity & access (a check passes, a tilde strains, a cross fails). The recommendation follows from them.
Endorsed
Endorsed, with a caveat
Watch-list, revisit when it matures
Excluded, the filter is named
✓ = calculated by the Engine
This research went deep on energy, food, water and habitat, and did not research the health, manufacturing or connectivity technologies to the same depth. Neobiome Engine computes four of the ten domains in depth: energy, food, water and habitat.
Select a domain in the wall to jump to it.
Renewable Energy & Storage SystemsD01 · 30 options
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation | ||||
| Solar PV (rooftop / community ground-mount) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Modular, mature, scales household-up |
| Solar thermal (hot water / space heat) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Simple, robust, locally maintainable |
| Micro / small hydro (run-of-river) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Gated on head + flow |
| Small wind (community-scale turbines) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Generic kW capacity; no vertical-axis or household-specific data |
| Biomass combustion (wood / residues, heat) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Wood / residue supply; heat-only per NI spec |
| Biogas / anaerobic digestion | ✓~✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Community scale, year-round feedstock + heated digester; household excluded (cold climate) |
| Ground-source heat (shallow geothermal HP) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | COP-rated; draws electricity to run |
| Diesel / petrol genset | ✗✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | yes | F1 fossil; retained as backup only |
| Green hydrogen (generation / fuel) | ✓~~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4: ~35% round-trip forces 2-3× overbuild; pilot-scale + safety; revisit ~post-2031 |
| Concentrated solar power (CSP) | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 utility-scale; poor NZ irradiance |
| Large / dam hydro | ✓✗✗✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F3 utility-scale, centralised, consenting-heavy |
| Utility-scale wind farms | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 industrial scale |
| Deep geothermal | ✓✗✗~ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 industrial; geographically locked |
| Wave / tidal marine | ✓~~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 pre-commercial; high capex; revisit on maturity |
| Natural gas / LPG generation | ✗✓~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1 fossil |
| Coal | ✗✓~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1 fossil; highest-emission |
| Nuclear (conventional) | ~✗✗✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 industrial; not legal in NZ |
| Small modular reactor (SMR) | ~✗✗✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 not commercially deployable |
| Storage | ||||
| Li-ion battery (household / community BESS) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | The off-grid workhorse |
| Lead-acid battery | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Model uses LFP |
| Thermal storage (hot-water / phase-change) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Pairs with solar thermal + biomass |
| Vehicle-to-home (V2H) / bidirectional EV storage | ✓✓✓~ | Endorsed | yes | Was "V2G, not modelled". Models the fleet as a second storage pool + bidirectional-charger CapEx; grid-export V2G is the less-mature part |
| Flow battery (e.g. vanadium) | ✓~✓✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 cost/maturity not yet community-viable |
| Pumped hydro storage | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 utility-scale |
| Hydrogen storage (electrolyser + fuel cell) | ✓~~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 cost/efficiency; revisit on maturity |
| Flywheel / compressed air (CAES) | ✓✗~~ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 industrial scale |
| Distribution & control | ||||
| DC / AC microgrid (household to community) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Density-scaled reticulation |
| Smart metering / demand management | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Demand lever |
| Grid connection (existing line) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | yes | Autonomy cost accounted (D18); connect where reachable |
| Centralised national-grid extension (new build) | ✓~~✓ | Endorsed | yes | Costly new transmission km; rarely economic vs full off-grid |
Smart Food Systems & AgricultureD02 · 24 options
the model computes a full food layer. One "arable + garden crop layer" row carries a staple (potato/oats → carbohydrate), legumes (faba → protein), an oil crop (hemp → fat) and a vegetable / permaculture garden (fibre + micronutrients) on the land pools; a livestock layer produces meat (grazing), milkfat + milk protein (dairy) and eggs (poultry); and a powered cool store is modelled. Food self-sufficiency is scored as the binding (lowest) nutrient across carbohydrate, protein, fat and fibre, with vegan and vegetarian diet gates. Food is coupled to the Water and Electricity domains: it draws irrigation water, and the dairy shed, cool store, machinery and pumping draw electricity.
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production (growing) | ||||
| Arable + garden crop layer (open-field, regenerative) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | ONE row carries the staple + legumes + oil crop + veg/permaculture garden; yield + land area + capex/opex; draws water + electricity |
| Polytunnel / passive greenhouse | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Shell costed as a community building (footprint, catchment, electricity); its season-extension yield is NOT credited |
| Permaculture / agroforestry | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Underlies the yield assumption; perennials not a separate cell |
| Raised beds / intensive horticulture | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | High yield per area; household-scale |
| Heated greenhouse (glass) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Needs cheap / waste heat; the unheated shell is a modelled building, its heat + yield are NOT |
| Hydroponics (small-scale) | ✓✓✗✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F3 imported nutrient + energy; optional intensification, reduces autonomy |
| Aquaponics | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | More circular than hydroponics; needs power + skill |
| Vertical farming (controlled-environment) | ✓✗~✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 energy + capex intensive; industrial |
| Fertiliser-dependent monoculture | ✗✓✗✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1, F3 external-input dependency; unsustainable |
| Lab-grown / cellular agriculture | ✓✗~✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 not community-deployable |
| Protein | ||||
| Poultry / small livestock | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Eggs per hen; imported feed a penalty; diet-gated |
| Dairy (house cows) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Milkfat + protein, the primary fat producer (9-19× grazing/ha); house-cow CapEx + OpEx; raw-milk; diet-gated |
| Beekeeping | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Pollination + honey; low footprint |
| Managed pasture grazing (small herd) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Meat per SU + tallow; net surplus after herd replacement; LUC land; CapEx + OpEx |
| Small-scale aquaculture (pond / tank) | ✓✓✓~ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Viable where water + feed + management exist |
| Insect farming (protein) | ✓✓✓✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 emerging; market/cultural acceptance uncertain in NZ |
| Industrial feedlot / intensive livestock | ✗✗✗✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1, F2 high-input, industrial |
| Preservation & storage | ||||
| Root cellar / passive cool store | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Zero-energy storage; simple |
| Canning / bottling | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Shelf-stable; low-tech |
| Solar drying / dehydration | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Free solar energy |
| Fermentation | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | No energy; nutritional co-benefits |
| Smoking / curing | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Traditional; uses biomass |
| Freezing / powered cold storage | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Powered chilled cool store IS modelled: a 4-month perishable buffer drawing electricity + taking land (no separate CapEx line) |
| Industrial cold-chain / blast freezing | ✓✗✓✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 utility-scale; energy-intensive |
Water, Waste & Circular SystemsD03 · 31 options
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water supply / sourcing | ||||
| Rainwater harvesting (roof catchment + tanks) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | NZ rural default; rainfall regionally modelled |
| Groundwater (bore / well, hand or solar pump) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Robust where aquifers allow; permitted-take a constraint |
| Surface water intake (stream / river) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Intake structure CapEx + a stream-distance feasibility gate (was marked not-modelled) |
| Spring capture | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Low-tech, gravity-fed where terrain allows |
| Desalination (small-scale RO) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | yes | Energy + membrane dependency (a note, not a caveat); coastal/brackish backstop; small RO is real (F2) + mature (F4) |
| Reticulated municipal supply | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | yes | External dependency accounted; use existing where reachable; tariff modelled |
| Fog harvesting | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Niche fog-prone microclimates only |
| Atmospheric water generation (AWG) | ✓~~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 energy-intensive; immature/costly; revisit on maturity |
| Water treatment (potable) | ||||
| Slow sand filtration | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Passive, proven; treatment CapEx proposed |
| Ceramic / membrane filtration (point-of-use) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Household-scale; treatment CapEx proposed |
| UV disinfection (solar or powered) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Low chemical input; treatment CapEx proposed |
| Chlorination (small-scale dosing) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Cheap, reliable; treatment CapEx proposed |
| Boiling | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Universal fallback; energy cost only |
| Reverse osmosis (contaminant / brackish) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Membrane/energy; where source quality demands (desal carries the RO cost case) |
| Industrial water-treatment plant | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 utility-scale |
| Wastewater & sanitation | ||||
| Composting toilet | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Closes nutrient loop; no water/sewer; off-grid default |
| Septic tank + drain field | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Standard NZ off-grid; soil/site-dependent |
| Greywater reuse system | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Cuts water demand; cost + reuse fraction sourced |
| Constructed wetland / reedbed | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Passive treatment; land-dependent |
| Biogas digester (blackwater to energy) | ✓~✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Same AD as D01; feedstock + cold-climate; stronger as sanitation / nutrient-recovery |
| Incineration toilet (electric / LPG) | ~✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F1 burns energy + nutrients; composting preferred; for cold / water-scarce sites |
| Package treatment plant (aerated, community) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Mechanical; needs maintenance capacity + power |
| Centralised sewerage + treatment works | ✓~✗✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Existing connection only, not built (parallels grid/mains) |
| Pit latrine / long-drop | ~✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | Health risk (groundwater), limited capacity; temporary / low-density only |
| Solid waste & resource recovery | ||||
| Composting (organic waste) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Closes nutrient loop; feeds food production |
| Recycling / materials reuse | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Circular; collection-logistics caveat |
| Repair & reuse culture | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Extends asset life; behavioural |
| Anaerobic digestion (organic waste to energy) | ✓~✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Same AD; feedstock + cold-climate |
| Pyrolysis / biochar (small-scale) | ✓✓✓✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 emerging; maturity/operation varies |
| Incineration (waste-to-energy, industrial) | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 utility-scale; emissions |
| Landfill | ✗✓✗✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1, F3 linear, centralised, unsustainable |
Sustainable Habitat & Building TechnologyD04 · 19 options
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials & structure | ||||
| Timber (local / sustainable) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | NOT costed: the structure sits in OSBL (declared, not costed); the RT_212 materials lever is not built (Adam's call, 2026-07-27) |
| Prefab modular (low-impact) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Some factory / transport dependency |
| Earth construction (rammed earth, cob, adobe) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Local material, thermal mass; soil/skill-dependent |
| Straw bale | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Excellent insulation; climate/skill-dependent (moisture) |
| Recycled / reclaimed materials | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Circular; supply varies |
| Concrete (mass) | ~✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F1 embodied carbon; foundations / unavoidable uses only |
| Steel frame (industrial) | ~✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F1 embodied energy; where structurally necessary |
| Building envelope / insulation | ||||
| High-performance / Passive House standard | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Building-standard lever: heat-demand multiplier + CapEx premium |
| Natural insulation (wool, cellulose) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Insulation level captured in the standard lever |
| Double / triple glazing | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Effect captured in the standard multiplier |
| Draught-proofing / airtightness | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Captured in the standard lever |
| Synthetic foam insulation | ~✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F1 petrochemical; when natural alternatives won't do |
| Heating & cooling | ||||
| Passive solar design | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Free heat; via reduced heat demand |
| Wood stove / biomass heat | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Model cell lives in D01 |
| Heat pump (air / ground source) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Cooling co-benefit; cell in D01 |
| Solar hot water | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Cell in D01 |
| Thermal mass / earth coupling | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Passive; via heat demand |
| Active air-conditioning (powered) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Energy cost; only where climate demands (rare NZ; heat pumps already cool) |
| Gas heating | ✗✓~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F1 fossil |
Smart Mobility & Electrified TransportD05 · 9 options
transport is not a modelled domain in its own right; the only model touch-points are the EV charging load and the farm-machinery energy, both feeding electricity demand. Machinery CapEx is not yet costed (a proposed build item).
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicles | ||||
| Electric vehicles (EV) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | yes | Charging load feeds energy demand |
| E-bikes / e-scooters (micromobility) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Trivial load |
| Conventional petrol / diesel vehicles | ✗✓✓✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F1 fossil; transition / backup for remote heavy & long-range |
| Biofuel / renewable-diesel (HVO) vehicles | ✓✓✓✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 drop-in renewable diesel, but not yet at NZ pumps |
| Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles | ✓✓~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 no NZ refuelling; immature/costly |
| Charging & equipment | ||||
| EV charging infrastructure (renewable-powered) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Charging load rides on EV/demand modelling |
| Electric farm machinery / equipment | ✓✓✓~ | Endorsed | partly | Energy modelled (diesel bill, or electricity if electrified); machinery CapEx NOT yet (build item) |
| Active & shared | ||||
| Active transport (walking / cycling) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Zero-energy, health co-benefits |
| Shared / community transport (car-share, pooled, local) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Resource-sharing; efficient where numbers support it |
Smart Health & WellbeingD06 · 8 options
health is outside the NI calculation model; this domain is mapped for landscape/scope completeness only (all logic-only).
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary care & diagnostics | ||||
| Telehealth / remote consultation | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Rides on connectivity (D09) |
| Community first-aid / primary-care capability | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Essential remote resilience |
| Portable point-of-care diagnostics | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Diagnosis on-site; increasingly affordable |
| Essential medicines / pharmacy stock | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Buffers supply breaks |
| Advanced & emergency | ||||
| Emergency response / evacuation capability | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Evacuation plan + comms; essential resilience |
| Wearable / remote health monitoring | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Useful for chronic conditions; needs devices + connectivity |
| AI symptom triage / diagnostic support | ✓✓~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 needs validation + safe governance |
| Advanced medical imaging (MRI / CT) | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 hospital/industrial scale |
Digital Governance & Community EconomiesD07 · 8 options
governance/economy is outside the NI calculation model; mapped for landscape/scope completeness only (all logic-only).
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governance & decision-making | ||||
| Digital participatory governance (Loomio, sociocracy tools) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Core to self-governance; low-cost, proven |
| Cooperative / shared-ownership structures | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Well-established in NZ law |
| Local economy & exchange | ||||
| Community currency / local exchange (LETS, timebank) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Keeps value circulating locally; proven |
| Cryptocurrency | ✓✓✗✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F3 volatile / externally-dependent; niche cross-border / remittance only |
| Records & administration | ||||
| Digital land / asset registry | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Simple database suffices |
| AI-assisted administration / record-keeping | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Depends on connectivity |
| Digital identity systems | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Raises privacy + dependency questions |
| Blockchain / DLT for governance or records | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | Usually over-engineered vs a trusted database; tamper-proof shared records only |
Biotechnology & Nature-Based SolutionsD08 · 12 options
outside the NI calculation model; nature-based soil/ecosystem methods feed the regenerative-yield assumption used in D02 but aren't separate cells. Mapped for landscape/scope completeness.
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil & ecosystem | ||||
| Soil microbiology / composting biology management | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Underpins regenerative yield; foundational |
| Nitrogen-fixing cover crops / green manure | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Replaces synthetic fertiliser, builds soil |
| Mycorrhizal / microbial biofertiliser inoculants | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Reduces input dependency |
| Ecological restoration / native revegetation | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Restores ecosystem services |
| Bioremediation, pest & waste conversion | ||||
| Constructed wetland / biological wastewater treatment | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Nature-based treatment (cross-links D03) |
| Integrated pest management (biological controls) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Replaces synthetic pesticides |
| Mycoremediation / phytoremediation | ✓✓✓~ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 slow + partly experimental; useful where land is contaminated |
| Black-soldier-fly / insect bioconversion (to feed) | ✓✓✓✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 finicky + emerging in NZ |
| Advanced biotech | ||||
| GMO crops (transgenic) | ✓✓✗✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F3 proprietary seed = external dependency; tight NZ regulation |
| Gene editing (CRISPR) for crops | ✓✓~✗ | Watch-list | reasoned only | F4 maturity/regulation; NZ rules liberalising, revisit |
| Synthetic biology / precision fermentation | ✓✗~✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 industrial scale + capex |
| Local biopharmaceutical / vaccine production | ✓✗~✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 industrial + regulatory burden |
Digital Intelligence & ConnectivityD09 · 12 options
outside the NI calculation model; connectivity/compute is the enabling layer for D06 (telehealth) and D07 (governance). Mapped for landscape/scope completeness.
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connectivity | ||||
| Satellite internet (LEO, e.g. Starlink) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Purpose-built for remote sites |
| Fixed wireless / line-of-sight radio | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Where line-of-sight exists |
| Mesh network (community) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Resilient, decentralised, community-controlled |
| Two-way radio (resilience backup) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Internet-independent; critical comms in outages |
| Cellular / mobile | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Where coverage exists |
| Fibre to premises | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Excellent where reachable; rarely runs to remote sites |
| Compute & data | ||||
| Local compute / edge servers | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Supports autonomy |
| Local / on-prem AI models | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Offline decision-support |
| Cloud services (external) | ✓✓✗✓ | Endorsed, with a caveat | reasoned only | F3 external dependency; non-critical functions only |
| Sensing & automation | ||||
| Environmental / energy / resource sensors (IoT) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Cheap, high-value; cross-links smart metering |
| Smart-home / building automation | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Load shifting |
| Drones (monitoring / delivery) | ✓✓~✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Regulated but increasingly capable |
Advanced Manufacturing & Digital FabricationD10 · 8 options
outside the NI calculation model; local fabrication/repair reduces supply dependency (a resilience enabler). Mapped for landscape/scope completeness.
| Technology | F1 F2 F3 F4 | Verdict | In the engine | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrication | ||||
| Desktop / community 3D printing (FDM) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Spare parts + tools on-site; cheap, mature |
| Small CNC machining / laser cutting | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Bench-scale machines affordable |
| Workshop / makerspace (hand + power tools) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Foundational shared capability |
| Open-source hardware / shared designs | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Avoids proprietary lock-in |
| Repair & recovery | ||||
| Repair & maintenance tooling | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Repair-not-replace |
| Plastic recycling / filament making (e.g. Precious Plastic) | ✓✓✓✓ | Endorsed | reasoned only | Closes the loop; labour-intensive but circular |
| Industrial boundary | ||||
| Industrial-scale manufacturing (mass production) | ✓✗~✓ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2 factory scale |
| Large-scale automation / industrial robotics | ✓✗~✗ | Excluded | reasoned only | F2, F4 capital-intensive, industrial |