Technologies in the game are graded in levels beginning at 1, which indicates the lowest interstellar space travelling ability. Some technological abilities become available automatically as a player reaches a higher `techlevel', while others are represented by specific technologies that have to be developed or obtained through other means, such as trading with other players.
The ability to develop specific technologies follows similar requirements as the ability to build various ships, installations and pieces of equipment; in other words, it may require that a player has reached a certain techlevel, and/or that the player possesses one (or in some cases two) other technologies.
Note: even possessing a technology doesn't always make a player able to use it if the player hasn't reached a sufficiently high techlevel.
Refer to the Technology Index for a list of all common specific technologies.