{"id":1641,"date":"2023-03-14T17:49:52","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T17:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rafacontreras.org\/?p=1641"},"modified":"2025-02-24T21:23:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:23:18","slug":"la-tecnologia-sigue-su-propio-camino-hyperloop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rafacontreras.org\/en\/la-tecnologia-sigue-su-propio-camino-hyperloop\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology Follows Its Own Path: Hyperloop"},"content":{"rendered":"

A friend recently sent me an article published in <\/span>La Vanguardia<\/span><\/a> about the <\/span>Mobile World Congress<\/span><\/a> in Barcelona<\/a>. The headline, in bold letters, reads: <\/span>\u201cThe Hyperloop Capsule\u201d<\/span>, and at the beginning of the article, there\u2019s a full-color photo of the capsule \u2014 the centerpiece of this global innovation event.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The image instantly sparked a feeling of pride in me. Pride as an <\/span>Andalusian and a Gaditano<\/span>, as an <\/span>entrepreneur and technologist<\/span>. Competing at the highest level demands total dedication. Now, in my role as <\/span>Vice-President of C\u00e1diz C.F.<\/span>, I can testify to that in the world of sports. In business, I can also confirm the need for relentless effort and sacrifice to secure a place \u2014 not just nationally, but internationally.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The <\/span>Hyperloop capsule<\/span> showcased at the Mobile World Congress was born from the hands and knowledge of a company based in <\/span>El Puerto de Santa Mar\u00eda<\/span> \u2014 a company I co-founded in 2002 alongside <\/span>Professor Manuel Gal\u00e1n<\/span>: <\/span>Carbures<\/span>, now known as <\/span>AIRTIFICIAL<\/span>. It wasn\u2019t easy to earn the trust of <\/span>Hyperloop TT<\/span>, a California-based company and one of the two competitors in the race to develop the <\/span>Hyperloop<\/span> \u2014 the other being Richard Branson\u2019s company. Convincing them to place their faith in a tech company from southern Spain was no small feat.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

As I always say, every success at the top level is the result of countless hours of continuous work and overcoming obstacles. The work we did for <\/span>Hyperloop<\/span> in 2018, applying our technology and expertise, was a <\/span>major milestone<\/span> \u2014 both for them and for <\/span>AIRTIFICIAL<\/span>. In that moment, the value of 20 years of hard work, which began with a research group at the <\/span>University of C\u00e1diz<\/span>, finally materialized.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

From that point on, your work \u2014 your applied technology \u2014 takes on a life of its own. It\u2019s like when you manufacture part of a plane\u2019s wing or a fuel cap. Once it leaves the factory, it\u2019s no longer yours. It belongs to <\/span>Airbus<\/span>, <\/span>Boeing<\/span>, or <\/span>Hyperloop<\/span>. In some projects, your contribution is just a small piece, and in others, it\u2019s a <\/span>35-meter carbon fiber structure embedded with sensors<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Seeing the fruits of our labor follow their own path, as happened this week in <\/span>Barcelona<\/span>, brings a deep sense of satisfaction \u2014 the satisfaction of knowing you\u2019ve fulfilled the mission of adding value to everyday things through technology.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

And, as I always say, <\/span>technology follows its own path<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n