Are the shield regeneration tech and this terraforming one applied immediately throughout the empire or is it something that requires new designs?
The terraforming tech is applied immediately, to all of our existing terraforming stations. The shield tech forms the basis of a new shield design... the actual hardware must be researched separately (but hardware research is usually quite cheap and quick, except for jump-drive hardware).
With those research labs, the techs AND the tech sharing with the Charlies, things could be looking pretty good for the foreseeable future!
Yeah, the tech situation will soon be looking pretty good.