New tools, the airship, animals, and automated production facilities aren’t unlocked in Solarpunk through a single tech tree. Instead, two separate research systems run in parallel. If you only upgrade the Research Table, you can end up stuck on energy, transport, or automation despite having a high research tier.
This guide covers how to unlock every research tier, which resources you need for each one, and the order that gives you the smoothest possible progression.
Research Table vs. Trader Bot: What’s the Difference?
Progress in Solarpunk is split across two separate systems:
- Research Table: Unlocks basic buildings, tools, the Map, the Airship Dock, farming, cooking, and animal care.
- Trader Bot research: Unlocks energy systems, electronics, batteries, automation, and transport technology.
Trader Bot research isn’t part of the regular trading system itself, but sits at a separate research station next to the Trader Bot. To unlock individual items there, you need Blueprints, which you get from specific trade orders.
Both systems tie into each other. You need the Research Table for your first airship, but you then have to reach the Trader Bot to unlock energy systems and further airship upgrades. One of the most common mistakes is mixing up the two research systems. If you only build up the Research Table, you’ll eventually run into what looks like missing research once you get to energy, automation, or later airship upgrades. In reality, the actual next step is usually already sitting with the Trader Bot.
Unlocking All Research Table Tiers
Tier 1 is available right from the start of the game. Every further tier requires a specific resource. On top of that, all the researches the game requires for the current tier need to be finished first. If you can’t activate the next tier despite having the resource, check the list of unfinished entries shown in the research menu.
| Research Tier | Cost to Advance | Key Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Automatically available | Rain Collector, Chest, Beehive, Bed, and basic supplies |
| Tier 2 | 1× Build-Hammer and 1× Beeswax | Map, Furnace, Bottle, and early decorations |
| Tier 3 | 1× Iron Bar | Airship Dock, storage shelves, map markers, and Magnetic Fishing Rod |
| Tier 4 | 1× Copper | Iron tools, glass components, and farming/animal decorations |
| Tier 5 | 1× Wheat | Animal Basics, and with it your entry into animal care |
| Tier 6 | 1× Sunflower | Growbox, cooking, Seedspack, and Pig Shelter |
| Tier 7 | 1× Corn | Sheep Shelter, additional cooking recipes, and more building materials |
| Tier 8 | 1× Paprika | Diamond tools, additional cooking recipes, and late-game decorations |
| Final Tier | 1× Diamond | Late-game building and decoration research |
The final tier is labeled as Tier 8 again in the game. This appears to just be a labeling error. In terms of content, it’s an additional final tier that comes after the Tier 8 you already unlocked with Paprika.
Why the Next Research Tier Won’t Unlock
Having the required tier-up resource alone isn’t always enough. Before you can activate the next tier, every research the current tier requires needs to be finished. The research menu shows a list of still-unfinished entries for this.
If the tier-up button is missing or the material won’t submit, first check:
- whether all required research for the current tier has been completed,
- whether the required resource is actually in your inventory,
- whether you have the right research station open.
That last point in particular causes a lot of confusion: research for energy or automation doesn’t show up at the regular Research Table — it only appears at the Trader Bot station.
Best Research Order to Start With
At the start, it’s not worth unlocking every available research right away. Focus first on technologies that unlock new resources or make your day-to-day base life significantly easier.
- Research the Rain Collector: The Rain Collector gives you a reliable water supply early on. That means less time spent hunting for water, and you can keep your first crops watered more consistently.
- Build a Chest: A Chest keeps your inventory from filling up during your very first gathering runs. Use it especially to store rare plants, seeds, and materials that will later be needed for research or trade requirements.
- Prioritize the Beehive: The Beehive produces Beeswax, which you already need for Tier 2. Build it too late, and you’ll have to wait on production even though every other requirement is already met.
- Unlock Tier 2 and craft the Map: Tier 2 requires a Build-Hammer and a Beeswax. After that, research the Map as early as possible. Crafting it costs 2× Cloth and gives you a proper overview of the surrounding islands for the first time. Before that, you’re mostly navigating by line of sight. With the Map, you can judge islands, distances, and your current airship range much better.
- Build a Furnace and unlock Tier 3: The Furnace lets you process ore into bars. First craft at least one Iron Bar to reach Tier 3. After that, the Airship Dock should be your top priority. Researching the Airship Dock costs 5× Wood, 5× Iron, and 5× Cloth. You then craft the dock at the crafting bench using 40× Wood, 20× Iron, and 3× Cloth, and place it at the edge of your island. You build your first airship right at the dock afterward. For that, you need 10× Iron, 3× Cloth, and the crashed airship component from the wreck on your starting island.
Produce Cotton and Cloth Early
Cotton is one of the most common progression bottlenecks early in the game. You need the Cloth crafted from it for, among other things, the Map, the Bed, the Airship Dock, and various later research items or trade orders.
So plant any cotton seeds you find right away, and don’t use your first harvest for decoration. Since the plants glow slightly at night, they’re often easier to spot among the surrounding vegetation in the dark.
It’s best to build up a small stock of cotton and cloth before you reach Tier 3. Otherwise, you’ll have the research for the Airship Dock but will need to wait through several more harvests before you can actually build it.
Unlocking Trader Bot Blueprints
Once you’ve built your first airship, you can reach the Trader Bot. Alongside its regular trading offers, there’s a separate station for Blueprint research. Once you’ve built it, you can reach the Trader Bot. Alongside its trading offers, there’s a separate station for Blueprint research. You unlock the entry point via the first order, which requires 4× Watermelon. After that, you can use your first Blueprint for the Energy Workbench.
Each individual research item normally costs one Blueprint. You get these from completed Trader Bot trade orders. Trade orders for a new airship tier are an exception: they improve your airship’s range but don’t give you an extra Blueprint.
| Trader Bot Tier | Cost to Advance | Example Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Hand over 4× Watermelon to the Trader Bot | Energy Workbench; then Solar Panel, Weather Station, and Switch |
| Tier 2 | 1× Silicon | Battery, Energy Furnace, Animal Transport, Advanced Dock, and Logic Blocks |
| Tier 3 | 1× Cobalt | Wind Turbine, Transport Drone, Mailbox, and lighting |
| Tier 4 | 1× Algae Circuit Board | Algae Drone, Sky Turbine, automatic animal care, and Forestry Robot |
| Tier 5 | 1× Diamond | Sawmill and Detector |
Silicon is crafted from Quartz. You’ll only find Quartz on more distant islands that become reachable after your airship’s first range upgrade. So don’t spend your first Silicon carelessly — set aside at least one for advancing to Blueprint Tier 2.
Which Trader Bot Research Should You Pick First?
Unlock the Energy Workbench Early
The Energy Workbench is one of the most important early Blueprints. It’s crafted at the regular wood crafting table and gives you your entry point into power generation, cables, and electrical systems.
Without it, you can see many later systems in the research menu, but you can’t actually build or run them in any meaningful way. So grab it from Blueprint Tier 1 as early as you can.
Battery or Animal Transport First?
At Trader Bot Tier 2, you face an important choice between Battery and Animal Transport. For most bases, the Battery is the better first pick. The community also generally recommends building a stable power supply first. Animal Transport only really pays off once you need to supply several pens at the same time.
That’s especially true if you’re already using Solar Panels, drills, sprinklers, or the Advanced Dock. Without battery storage, your power supply can collapse quickly during weak sunlight or at night, taking several systems down at once. Only pick Animal Transport first if your power grid is already running stably and relocating chickens, pigs, or sheep is specifically blocking your current progress.
Don’t Spend Key Resources Too Early
Several rare resources double as cooking ingredients, building materials, and progression requirements at the same time. Processing them right away can slow down your own progress for several harvests or exploration trips.
Set Aside Six Eggs for the Airship
For one of the range upgrades, the Trader Bot asks for 6× Eggs. So don’t use up all your first eggs on cooking. Set six aside separately until that trade goal is complete.
Don’t Turn All Your Wheat Into Animal Feed
Wheat is needed in several places at once. One unit unlocks Tier 5 at the Research Table, and another 5× Wheat is needed for Animal Basics. On top of that, the Trader Bot asks for 10× Wheat and later 10× Bread.
So after your first find, build up a larger wheat stock first. If you turn it all into Animal Feed right away, you’ll block both your research and your Trader Bot progress.
Save Rare Plants for the Seedspack
The Seedspack at Tier 6 costs 1× Raspberry, Wheat, Cotton, Sunflower, and Carrot each. Keep at least one of every newly discovered plant instead of immediately cooking or processing your entire harvest.
The Best Research Order at a Glance
Following this order unlocks the most important systems without wasting rare resources too early:
- Gather berries and basic resources.
- Research the Rain Collector for a reliable water supply.
- Build a Chest and store rare plants and seeds separately.
- Build the Beehive and produce Beeswax for Tier 2.
- Unlock Tier 2 with a Build-Hammer and Beeswax.
- Research the Map and craft it with 2× Cloth.
- Expand cotton farming and build up a cloth stockpile.
- Build a Furnace, craft Iron Bars, and unlock Tier 3.
- Research the Airship Dock and build your first airship.
- Unlock the Energy Workbench at the Trader Bot as early as possible.
- Complete your first airship range upgrade.
- Process Quartz into Silicon and open Trader Bot Tier 2.
- Pick Battery before Animal Transport, provided your power grid is already supplying multiple systems.
- Unlock Tier 4 at the Research Table with Copper.
- Grow wheat and set aside reserves for Tier 5, Animal Basics, trading, and bread.
- Unlock Tier 5 and research Animal Basics.
- Unlock Tier 6 with Sunflower, then the Pig Shelter.
- Unlock Tier 7 with Corn, then the Sheep Shelter.
- Open Tier 8 with Paprika.
- Unlock the final research tier, also labeled Tier 8, with a Diamond.
Can’t Unlock Research? The Most Common Causes
The Next Research Tier Won’t Unlock
Check the list of still-unfinished research. Only once every required entry for the current tier is complete can you submit the material for the next tier.
Energy Research Is Missing at the Research Table
Energy, electronics, and automation belong to the separate Trader Bot system. Travel to the Trader Bot and use the extra Blueprint research station there.
No Blueprints Despite a Completed Trade
Not every Trader Bot order rewards you with a Blueprint. Trade goals for new airship tiers only give you the matching range upgrade.
The Airship Dock Is Researched, but You Can’t Build It
Besides wood, iron, and cloth, you need the airship component from the crashed wreck on the starting island. Without that part, your first airship stays blocked.
Missing Wheat or Eggs for Further Progress
Set aside key progression resources in their own chest early on. Wheat and eggs especially are easy to burn through on animal feed or cooking recipes, only to find you need them for research and airship upgrades shortly after.
You can find more Solarpunk guides in our Solarpunk overview. There, we collect all our current guides on research, islands, animal care, resources, and other game mechanics.
