# Clark Claims Register

This file tracks important claims in the project and whether they are safe to use publicly.

## Status Labels

- `Safe to Use`: supported strongly enough for current external use
- `Needs Validation`: promising but not yet strong enough
- `Rejected`: not supported or intentionally removed

## Claims

| Claim ID | Claim | Status | Evidence Level | Where It Appears | Next Step |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| C-001 | CLARK is a Delaware-incorporated platform company coordinating a network of regional electronics assembly nodes. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/pitch.md` | Maintain consistency |
| C-002 | CLARK combines assembly, firmware optimization, and IPC-certified training in one coordinated model. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/pitch.md` | Keep phrasing descriptive, not uniqueness-based |
| C-003 | No identified competitor occupies the same intersection as CLARK. | Needs Validation | Medium | Source thesis only | Complete fuller analog map before external use |
| C-004 | Hamilton-Buffalo is the best initial binational corridor for CLARK. | Needs Validation | Low | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/pitch.md` | Compare against alternative corridors before external use |
| C-005 | Canadian R&D incentives materially improve CLARK corridor economics. | Needs Validation | Medium | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` | Narrow to safe wording based on actual entity and project structure |
| C-006 | Buffalo has meaningful incentive and operating advantages for the American anchor node. | Needs Validation | Medium | Source thesis only | Keep only hydropower and regional-support claims that are actually usable |
| C-007 | Dunkirk should be part of the active operating footprint. | Rejected | High | Historical thesis only | Treat Dunkirk as a later logistics option rather than active footprint |
| C-008 | Workforce housing should be part of CLARK's long-term strategy. | Rejected | High | Historical thesis only | Keep housing out of the current venture scope |
| C-009 | Research must gate investor-facing claims. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/process/research.md`, `docs/process/research-board.md`, `docs/venture/pitch.md` | Enforce process |
| C-010 | CLARK's first commercial beachhead should be industrial-controls OEMs and integrators needing low-volume, firmware-sensitive PCB and PCBA support. | Safe to Use | Medium | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/pitch.md`, `docs/process/beachhead-customer-decision.md` | Keep adjacent categories positioned as later expansion lanes |
| C-011 | MacroFab is a distributed manufacturing-platform analog, STI Electronics is the closest manufacturing-plus-training analog, EPTAC is a training analog, and Conclusive Engineering is a firmware analog. | Safe to Use | Medium | `docs/process/research.md` | Expand and maintain analog map |
| C-012 | Hamilton-Buffalo is credible as a working corridor, but not yet proven to be superior to alternatives. | Safe to Use | Medium | `docs/process/research.md` | Complete corridor comparison before stronger claims |
| C-013 | START-UP NY is an active Buffalo incentive for CLARK. | Rejected | High | Historical thesis only | Remove from active planning language |
| C-014 | SR&ED, NRC IRAP, FedDev Ontario coverage, and NYPA hydropower programs are real incentive mechanisms relevant to CLARK's corridor thesis at the program level. | Safe to Use | Medium | `docs/process/research.md` | Validate project-specific applicability before stronger use |
| C-015 | CLARK's first revenue should come from IPC certification and train-the-trainer activity before assembly and platform fees become meaningful. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Build first revenue model around training-first launch |
| C-016 | CLARK should target 10% default ownership in new Assembly Centres / Assembly Centers, with a likely upper band of 15% to 20%. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in first economics draft |
| C-017 | Software should be bundled into Assembly Centre / Assembly Center licensing and separately billed only for non-center users of the Clark System. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in first economics draft |
| C-018 | The Hamilton Training Facility should be operated directly by CLARK inside the Niagara Assembly footprint as a beta model for future licensed expansion. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use as the default Hamilton structure |
| C-019 | CLARK should be the primary brand for the Hamilton Training Facility from day one. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Maintain branding consistency |
| C-020 | The Hamilton Training Facility should be positioned as a broader regional workforce center with Niagara Assembly as prime beneficiary. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in local ecosystem outreach |
| C-021 | The first Hamilton training bundle should center on IPC-A-610 CIS, IPC-A-610 CSE, Hand Soldering Certification, EPTAC Hands-on Cable and Wire Harness Lab, and IPC-A-610 CIT. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in launch planning |
| C-022 | CLARK should pair IPC credentials with modular Clark Courses that stand on their own as rigorous manufacturing-literacy and industry-readiness training. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` | Use in curriculum and branding development |
| C-023 | IPC outcomes should be marketed as IPC-certified, while CLARK's proprietary curriculum should carry the Clark Certified designation as a separate CLARK-branded achievement layer. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in curriculum and communications planning |
| C-024 | Hamilton's beta commercial model should use fixed fees calibrated to course volume plus a revenue-sharing component calculated after direct instructional costs with Niagara Assembly. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` | Translate into draft agreement terms |
| C-025 | Instructor liability should sit with CLARK, trainee injury and equipment-damage responsibility should sit with the facility side, Niagara Assembly should own facility safety and site procedures, and CLARK should own instructor and training-process compliance. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` | Convert into explicit contract language |
| C-026 | The Hamilton Advisory Group should function as a working group with monthly updates and quarterly sessions, not as a formal approval body. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md` | Use in governance design |
| C-027 | CLARK should develop verifiable shareable records for Clark Certified outcomes by the end of year 1, with blockchain-backed implementation treated as an implementation option rather than a day-one requirement. | Safe to Use | High | `docs/products/training-services/hamilton-training-model.md`, `docs/venture/business-plan.md`, `docs/venture/venture-overview.md` | Decide implementation path and vendor or build approach |