Engines:
- Increases the amount of speed per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Shield:
- Increases the amount of shield per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the shield resistance on ships, i.e., reduces the amount of damage which penetrates to the hull. Applies Immediately.
- Increases the shield power of planetary shield generators. Applies Immediately.
- Sufficiently high shield tech will absorb minefield damage. Has to be 50% over enemy missile tech.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Advanced Sensor Tech:
- Increases the amount of sensors per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the ability of planetary scanners to detect incoming fleets, including scout missions and attempt stealth missions. Applies Immediately.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Stealth:
- Increases the amount of stealth per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the ability of minefields to evade beams. Applies Immediately.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Beams:
- Increases the amount of beam-damage per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the ability of beams to penetrate shields and do hull damage in combat. Applies immediately. Note that beams have a base penetration of 0% to shields of the same tech-level.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Missiles:
- Increases the amount of missile-damage per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the ability of missiles to penetrate shields and do hull damage in combat. Applies immediately. Note that missiles have a base penetration of 50% to shields of the same tech-level.
- Allows 100% shield penetration for your minefields if missile tech is at least 66% of enemy shield tech. Applies Immediately.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Fighters:
- Increases the amount of fighter-damage per slot you get when designing starships. The cost per slot is increased proportionately. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Increases the ability of fighters to penetrate shields and do hull damage in combat. Applies immediately. Note that fighters have a base penetration of 25% to shields of the same tech-level.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Nanotechnology and Design:
- Increases the efficiency of bioformers, leading to more rapid bioforming. Applies immediately.
- Increases the population growth rate. Applies immediately.
- Increases the rate of hull-repair for damaged starships. Applies immediately.
- Unlocks the ability to design heavier and more powerful starships. Applies immediately.
- Reduces the build-time for starships. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit. Beyond level 20 no further benefit is derived.
- Increases the resilience of populations to orbital bombardment. Applies immediately.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Economics:
- Increases the amount of credits you earn from megapolii. Applies immediately.
- Reduces the upkeep cost of starships. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Improves your market discount at the Toag Market. Applies immediately. Beyond level 9 no further benefit is derived.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Ore Mining:
- Increases the amount of ore you earn from ore-mines by 4% per level (i.e, 10 levels = 40% bonus). Applies immediately.
li>Reduces the rate at which ore is depleted due to having ore-mines on your planets. Applies immediately.
- Each level gained yields a 1% discount to the ore-cost of components fitted to your starships. Beyond level 20 no further benefit is derived. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Production:
- Increases the amount of production you earn from factories by 4% per level (i.e, 10 levels = 40% bonus). Applies immediately.
- Each level gained yields a 1% discount to the production-cost of components fitted to your starships. Beyond level 20 no further benefit is derived. You have to design a new starship to get the benefit.
- Each level gained reduces the cost of the topic Researching very slightly.

Researching:
- Increases the amount of research points you earn from laboratories by 10% per level (i.e. 10 levels = 100% bonus). Applies immediately.
- Each level gained yields a 1% discount to the cost of researching any research topic besides researching. Applies immediately.