Bibop Gresta is convinced: Hyperloop is not simply a train capable of travelling at over a thousand kilometres per hour, but a fifth mode of mass transport. A futuristic capsule in which it will be possible to travel from Rome to Milan in half an hour — but that is not all: it will be capable of generating up to 30 per cent more energy than it consumes, and of reaching parts of the country that are remote and currently poorly connected. Founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technology and founder and CEO of Hyperloop Italia, Gresta also explains the unique infrastructural characteristics that make our country a strategic nation for the development of this technology.

At the end of last year, in Nevada, the first successful test run with passengers was carried out. How far along is the development of this technology worldwide, and in which countries will it first see the light of day?
Hyperloop technology has been demonstrated in all its individual components, and tests have been carried out at reduced scale in Nevada and at full scale in Toulouse. We are now ready to build a fully commercial line. In various countries — America, Brazil, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, India, China and Australia — feasibility studies have been conducted that have demonstrated the superiority of this technology over all traditional transport systems. After an abrupt interruption last year caused by the pandemic emergency, we are now witnessing the resumption of numerous projects in different parts of the world. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are certainly in pole position to implement one of the first projects, but with the establishment of Hyperloop Italia our country could also have a chance.

Are we simply looking at a new mode of transport?
First of all, Hyperloop cannot be defined as a train. The innovation brought by this technology is such that we are compelled to define it as a new mode of transport. After trains, ships, aeroplanes and cars, there is a new way of transporting goods and people, and this fifth mode of transport is called Hyperloop: the new paradigm that introduces and sets in motion a true revolution in the world of mass transport.

What sets Hyperloop apart from the other innovations that have emerged in the world of mobility in recent years?
What strikes you first is undoubtedly the incredible speed it can reach while using a fraction of the energy consumed by traditional systems. In fact, you simply place a capsule carrying 30 people inside a tube, remove the air from the tube using vacuum pumps, and with a minimal push from an electric motor you can reach a top speed of 1,223 kilometres per hour, with very little resistance and energy consumption. Add to that the use of passive levitation technology which, unlike Japan's high-speed rail, does not use electricity to induce levitation, and the result is the most efficient and sustainable transport system ever conceived. This efficiency translates into lower construction costs and highly competitive fares for passengers. Consider that to produce energy we install solar panels across the entire surface of the tube and combine them with wind and geothermal systems. Even the energy released by the brakes is recovered to increase energy efficiency. The combination of these entirely sustainable solutions is capable of generating up to 30 per cent more energy than we consume. On a 145-kilometre route we can produce surplus energy sufficient to power 3,000 homes.

What other innovations are you working on?
On a new experience for passengers. Today, traditional transport systems divide us into classes, but the result is that we end up travelling crammed into vehicles that do not adapt to the different needs a passenger has at different times of the day. When I go to work I need different things than when I am heading home, right? Well, every Hyperloop passenger will be able to begin their journey through an app that will activate a token on a blockchain which will recognise their profile and the services they desire at that precise moment, while the control centre will activate a fleet of remotely piloted car/air taxis that will take them to the nearest Hyperloop Hub in the shortest possible time. From there, after passing through a series of passive scanners, they will board one of the capsules departing every 40 seconds directly to their pre-set destination, where another remotely piloted car/air taxi will take them to their final stop — all with the minimum possible environmental impact.

In recent days you presented the "Dipartimento Tecnologie Hyperloop" in Bologna. What prospects does this technology open up in Italy, and on what timescale?
After leading HyperloopTT as founder and chairman, I realised the time had come to certify and implement the first full-scale Hyperloop line. Among the various candidates we looked seriously at Italy, for a truly unique and little-known characteristic of its infrastructure: unlike many other countries, Italy has a corridor known as a "relict" running alongside most of its rail and motorway spines — a 20-metre corridor that is potentially perfect for hosting a Hyperloop line in the form of an elevated viaduct or buried just below the surface. This uniqueness makes Italy an ideal candidate for the creation of our own network, one that could exploit the right-of-way already available along the motorways and railways, effectively eliminating the highly complex processes that generally make the timelines for such infrastructure unsustainable. That is why I decided to launch Hyperloop Italia, the first company in the world to have acquired the exclusive rights to HyperloopTT technologies for the construction of the first commercial line in our country. The establishment of the technology department goes precisely in this direction, to organise the expertise needed to implement this project in Italy; alongside this, we have launched the "Partnership programme" to allow Italian companies to apply to collaborate on the realisation of the project.

With this mode of transport it would be possible to travel from Rome to Milan in 30 minutes. Italy, especially in the South, suffers from an infrastructure gap it has been unable to close for years. How can this technology help?
Hyperloop could truly represent a turning point in the infrastructure sector, particularly in regions that are poorly served by traditional transport systems. Look at what has happened in less developed countries, where within the space of a decade the situation went from a complete absence of telecommunications systems to brand-new 5G networks. The lack of infrastructure will allow us to develop new solutions free from the constraints and inefficiencies of the past. Infrastructure used to be built by solving one problem while simultaneously creating ten others; today we have the opportunity to implement, from the outset, a technology that is fast, safe and sustainable, and capable of generating profits without resorting to the constant subsidies that traditional systems require. It is clear that Hyperloop costs vary depending on the terrain on which it is deployed, but its high efficiency and low maintenance costs mean that, in the long term, there is the possibility of recovering the entire investment within a few years of operation, even in the most challenging territories.

What kind of evolution in land transport should we expect in the coming years?
Eighty per cent of transport accidents are caused by human error. In the coming years, this problem will be solved with the introduction of next-generation autonomous driving systems. This will be a genuine revolution that will have a positive impact across our entire society. If we combine these technologies with the rapid arrival of electric cars, it is clear that the future of mobility is beginning to move in the right direction. This change will force us to reconsider how we organise and manage our cities, and to completely redefine the concept of privately owned cars in favour of innovative models and car sharing. This innovation, combined with the first implementations of short- and medium-distance Hyperloop lines, will represent a true revolution in land transport.

What have been the main impacts of the pandemic on mobility? Will anything remain once the emergency is over, or will we go back to travelling as much as — or more than — before?
We have millions of "auto-immobiles" — cars sitting in garages or car parks for 90 per cent of the time — which are mostly used during peak hours, creating congestion and pollution in almost every city in the world. With the pandemic, this problem was actually amplified by the various lockdowns, and so it could have been the great opportunity to redefine many of these assumptions. People began to talk about smart working, and offices emptied out in favour of remote working models and a preference for video-conferencing solutions. This new paradigm is set to have a long-term impact on our transport system that will bring enormous benefits for future generations. There will be traditional companies that will tend to try to bring things back to the way they were, but the majority of productive organisations, if they want to have a say in this new market, will need to rethink their working model and adapt to these new changes.