Talking about ideas for how research should work in the space logistics game I want to make.

Aspects that affect a technology's efficiency:

• How much funding the players collectively spend on research.
• How much the technology is used by players and by habitation zones.
• How cheap the prerequisite materials are in the market (cheaper = faster research).

Aspects that affect a breakthrough technology's unlocking:

• Whether or not there are scientists trained in that field.
• Whether or not those scientists have a place to do research.
• Whether or not the prerequisite technologies have been researched.
• Whether or not the prerequisite materials are accessible from the place of research.
• Whether or not the desired luxuries are accessible from the place of research.
• Whether or not an inspiration item or event has been discovered by the right kind of person.
• How much efficiency is researched for a particular technology.
• How much the prerequisite technology has been used in the last x years.