In this country, we have The Robbins Company which has virtually invented the TBM tunneling. I don't know why we have to import TBM from Germany and Japan for our projects? What was the last time Germans and Japanese imported a Robbins?
You might also try getting some research grants from UK government, Or from European Union. A colleague of mine from Germany applied and got partial funding from a European research fund. It requires you to find partners in other countries and academia though.