- These awards are presented by The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk
- The APV’s Valenciaport Chair in Logistics and Port Innovation has supported this project, which involves the development of a micro-tunneling machine for civil engineering works
Valencia, 4 May 2026 – The Valenciaport Chair in Logistics and Port Innovation at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) has supported the Talpa Tunneling team, which has been recognised with the Innovation Award at the Not-a-Boring Competition 2026, an international contest organised by The Boring Company, founded by Elon Musk. This prestigious award highlights the talent and innovative capacity of Valencian students.
The Talpa Tunneling project, a micro-tunnelling machine proposal for the civil engineering sector, was the only European team among the eight international participants in this year’s competition, held in Bastrop, Texas. The team achieved this significant accolade in record time, standing out for its ability to present an innovative and efficient solution for the excavation of small-diameter tunnels.
The Valenciaport Chair in Port and Logistics Innovation, established by the Port Authority of Valencia (APV) and the University of Valencia (UPV), aims to promote research, training and knowledge transfer in the port and logistics sector. This initiative contributes to strengthening the ports of Valencia, Sagunto and Gandía as key logistics hubs, and seeks to address the sector’s challenges through innovation and analysis.
Innovation in tunnel engineering
The competition, which challenged teams to excavate a 30-metre tunnel under strict safety and efficiency criteria, evaluated drilling capacity, navigational accuracy, and technological innovation in the proposed solutions.
This award highlights the importance of initiatives such as the Generación Espontánea programme, which enables students to tackle real-world challenges and develop practical solutions with a significant impact on strategic sectors. The partnership with the Valenciaport Chair and the ongoing support of the UPV provide students with an ideal environment to apply their knowledge in real-life scenarios, developing key skills to address global challenges.
A chair for the dissemination of knowledge
The mission of the Valenciaport Chair is to promote the generation, exchange and dissemination of knowledge in the field of logistics and port operations through academic, training and outreach activities.
In this regard, its key areas of focus include the energy transition, climate change adaptation, digitalization within the logistics chain, sea-rail intermodality and the automation of port terminals These areas are examined from an academic and technical perspective, with the aim of providing useful insights and encouraging reflection on the current challenges facing the port system.