Start with the bottleneck you can fix
Prioritize the research that gets your next production line working. For a new station, that usually means choosing an unlock you can supply with the ore and finished items already within reach. An early project that feeds future research gives you more room to experiment than a long list of upgrades you can't yet support.
Make the next unlock earn its place
Pick a target that solves a problem you can point to. If you're manually moving every batch between machines, plan the research and production you need for a repeatable belt-fed line. If that line already runs, check which research objective consumes its products before adding more machines. An item-funded research system rewards knowing where each input is coming from.
Plan around the Slipstream milestone
When local production is steady, make the Slipstream Drive your next major travel goal. It was the milestone at the end of the original demo's first two technology tiers. The developer's September playtest overview places cobalt and graphite in other sectors of the starting system. Plan new research around what your ship can reach and what your station can process once you bring it home.
FAQ
What's the first thing to research?
Choose a reachable objective that improves your current production or lets you build the station equipment you need. The best choice depends on where your factory is getting stuck.
When should I shift from local production to travel?
Do it once your station can reliably produce the items for your current research and you're ready to pursue the Slipstream Drive.
Does this priority order apply to the updated demo?
The decision process does. Compare the exact objectives with your build because the October demo extended the earlier progression.