Technology Disruption
With technology disruption enabled, every technology variable decreases by 10% each year, continuously — simulating existing technologies losing their usefulness as newer innovations replace them.
A technology lead is never permanent. Research you do not maintain erodes on its own, which makes staying ahead a continuing cost rather than a one-off investment.

The exception
Disruption still triggers even with the setting disabled, if a product’s top technology exceeds 10,000,000 points. That ceiling exists to stop the numbers growing large enough to harm playability.
Also see
- Product Class Expertise and Knowledge Points — expertise improves R&D effectiveness, which offsets disruption.
- Tech-focused AI Companies — competitors whose whole strategy is technology leadership.
- Intangible Asset: Technology — how a technology lead is valued on the balance sheet.