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HTT to set up branch for research, production in Slovakia

Xinhua, October 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), which is developing a new means of transport involving capsules powered by solar energy, will set up a new branch in Slovakia, said HTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn at the GLOBSEC Tatra Summit Investment Forum here on Friday.

"We've been cooperating with many Slovak companies. We should see the results of this cooperation in a few months. We're setting up a Slovak branch, and that's why I came here," said Ahlborn.

"It will deal with research and production. For us it's mostly about constant innovation and improving products," stated Ahlborn, who prefers Bratislava and its vicinity because it's close to the airports in Bratislava and Vienna.

"The number of employees of the branch is still unclear, but we can talk about dozens of them. We'll know better in two months. We can and want to pay for talented people. We're not here to be thrifty but to acquire the best possible quality. Slovaks are great in the area of machinery, the material economy and data engineering," stressed Ahlborn.

Cooperation with governments is very important for a project such as Hyperloop.

"We feel the support of the Slovak and Austrian governments. We need to establish new rules when we're creating new means of transport. And for that we need government support. I like Slovakia as a potential gateway to Europe," added Ahlborn.

A planned route between Bratislava and Vienna via Hyperloop isn't the only HTT project in the frame. Several options are currently being considered.

"We have a project in California, where we're surveying the land, carrying out environmental analyses."

Hyperloop is a high-speed transport project featuring solar energy-powered transit capsules travelling at almost supersonic speeds in reduced-pressure tubes. Endit