The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane visited a local business that is transforming the way tunnels are built and maintained.

Headquartered at Basing View, hyperTunnel was recently named as one of the top 50 construction-technology startups in the world.

It has developed a high-tech system that uses swarms of robots to make underground construction much cheaper, safer and more sustainable. Since launching in 2018, it has already grown to employ 44 people, with further expansion anticipated.

Cllr Onnalee Cubitt was accompanied on her visit by Janet Edwards and Teju Akande of the Department of International Trade, and her consort and husband, Hugo Cubitt. Together they toured hyperTunnel’s offices, advanced engineering lab and outdoor testing facility in the North Hampshire Downs, meeting the company’s founders and the experts developing its cutting-edge technology.

Cllr Cubitt said: “It was absolutely fascinating to hear about the ground-breaking engineering concept hyperTunnel is developing, which will have lots of different applications, and to meet some of the brains behind it all.

“The fact that such an ambitious, high-tech organisation with such big dreams has chosen to base itself in Basingstoke speaks volumes about what the town has to offer modern businesses.”