EU Makes First €15m Investment in Hyperloop

• 28 October 2021
• Construction Focus
• 1246 Views

The European Commission has approved €15 million for a Dutch engineering spin-off Hardt Hyperloop to study and develop the ultra-fast transport concept known as hyperloop, according to GCR on 25 October.

Tim Houter, the co-founder of Hardt, said in a press statement it is the first time that the EU invested directly in such a project.

“It’s great to have now gained the trust of the European Commission. Their support will help to accelerate the development of a European hyperloop network, bringing us much closer to significant carbon dioxide savings. European cities will be connected smarter, faster and cheaper,” he said.

The funding will also progress the European Hyperloop Centre in Groningen, set to demonstrate lane-switching for a high-speed hyperloop system in 2023.

A pilot project to move freight between Amsterdam and Rotterdam is being investigated by companies, governments and network organisations, hoping to become reality in the Netherlands within this decade.

Hyperloop pods move autonomously through low-pressure tubes, propelled by fluctuating magnetic fields supplied by the “track” they float over.

Hardt Hyperloop was founded in 2016 by engineers at Delft Technical University. It was involved in building Europe’s first high-speed test facility and has developed a lane-switching technology that is reckoned to be essential to the development of networks.

• Technology and Engineering