Northern entrepreneurs are strongly in favor of the arrival of a hyperloop test center
Last week it was announced that Groningen and Zeeland are the last two contenders for such a test center. The group of entrepreneurs, from the Businessclub Grand Prix Assen, have launched a playful campaign #HupHyperloop, and a corresponding website.
The hyperloop can be compared with pneumatic tubes for post, but for people. It consists of a magnetic glider train, in an almost vacuum tube. It is much faster than flying, and completely energy neutral.
The company Hardt from Delft is looking for a suitable location for a hyperloop test center, including a three-kilometer test track. The question now is where that test center will be based. Flevoland and South Holland dropped out last week, meaning that Groningen and Zeeland are the only two remaining contenders.
The entrepreneurs of the Business Club Grand Prix Assen, who were previously committed to the arrival of Formula 1 to the TT Circuit to Assen, have now set up a campaign to convince the Hardt company to choose Groningen. It is about a “substantive and charming, enthusiastic and cheerful campaign aimed at Hardt to present the ecosystem of the region”.
Under the motto “Hardtelijk welkom”, the entrepreneurs are getting themselves “hard for Hardt”, as can be read on www.huphyperloop.com.
The site presents Groningen as a region of the future, which has been at the forefront of greening and digitisation for years. The other pluses of the city and region mentioned include the fast-growing digital companies that dominate the Deloitte Fast50, and the leading position that Groningen holds when it comes to green energy, large offshore wind farms, large solar parks and hydrogen production and storage. The entrepreneurs also refer to the new Hive.Mobility center where they work on innovative mobility, smart logistics solutions and sustainable and autonomous transport.
Image: the Hyperloop launch in 2016. Image via Flickr user Kevin Krejci. License here.
