Hyperloop, the Transportation Technology of the Future, to Be Tested at TEKNOFEST 2025

Hyperloop technology, expected to revolutionize transportation worldwide, takes center stage for young engineers' testing and innovation at TEKNOFEST 2025 in Turkey.

Organized under TUBITAK's leadership, the TEKNOFEST Hyperloop Development Competition will take place at TUBITAK Gebze Campus between 26-31 August 2025.

Hyperloop enables near-sonic-speed travel on the ground through capsules that levitate magnetically and move without contact to rails within low-pressure tunnels. First introduced in 2013, the technology conducted its first manned trial in 2020 but remains in development stages and attracts major interest worldwide.

The TEKNOFEST Hyperloop Competition aims to enhance young engineers' knowledge base and encourage them to develop innovative solutions. The 2025 competition received applications from 280 teams with 793 members from 37 different provinces. Thirteen teams and 279 competitors who successfully passed rigorous reporting and testing stages earned the right to compete in the finals. The competition is open to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students at national and international institutions.

What Awaits Teams in the Finals?
In the final stage, teams will demonstrate their capsules in a specially prepared 208-meter-long test tunnel.

• Capsules rising from the rails through magnetic levitation and moving forward,
• Acceleration,
• Safe stopping by activating the braking system within the specified range,

are expected. The test tunnel, with its steel-reinforced structure and communication and safety systems, provides a realistic testing environment.

Awards and Innovation Categories
In addition to performance awards, Innovation Awards, Steel Levitation Award and Jury Special Award will be presented.

Innovation Awards will be given in the following categories:

• Electromagnetic levitation
• Propulsion system
• Infrastructure
• Communication
• Mechanical system (braking, integration, capsule)
• Socioeconomic impact

Awards for placing teams:

• First place: TRY 250,000
• Second place: TRY 200,000
• Third place: TRY 150,000

The TEKNOFEST Hyperloop Competition offers young engineers in Turkey an unprecedented opportunity to develop and test a world-leading transportation technology.