Yes, but basic reseach in IT is still not random, but usually has a clear goal, or at least some scope. Like indeed, focus on security? Focus on speed? Focus on reliability? Focus on energy efficency (because it is supposed to run on a tiny embedded device for long).

And the gimmick here seems to be in fact, that it is supposed to be flexibel

"is not a conventional operating system, but contains composable components for creating custom operating systems that are specific to a particular task. Components are joined together using the Microkit tool"