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The second international expo features cutting-edge unmanned vessels, drone jammers, VR ship training programs, and aquaculture technologies.
From autonomous maritime vehicles and first-person-view drones to aquaculture innovations, Pakistan’s second International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC) has a wide array of displays. The four-day event launched Monday at Karachi’s Expo Centre, organized with support from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, co-hosted by Badar Expo Solutions, and backed by the Pakistan Navy.
During the opening, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal highlighted that despite Pakistan’s strategic position as a “natural maritime bridge” bridging East and West, the country’s maritime industry contributes less than 1% to its gross domestic product (GDP). Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf emphasized Pakistan’s vast maritime potential, stating that the nation’s economic growth is closely tied to developing its maritime sector.
According to a post from Defense IDA, Admiral Naveed Ashraf welcomed the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics at PIMEC, which further underscores the importance of regional maritime cooperation.
Tanvir Abbas, CEO of Badar Expo Solutions and the organizer of the event, noted that the local manufacturing share for maritime-related products has grown from 2% a decade ago to around 10%.
“This is a significant improvement,” Abbas remarked, citing examples like locally produced vehicle armor and bomb-proofing—areas that previously depended heavily on imports. “We’re progressing rapidly, and I believe we’ll see exponential growth in indigenous production moving forward.”
These advancements are designed not only to boost local capacity but also to turn into export opportunities. The expo hosts approximately 150 local and 28 international exhibitors, with participants from 45 countries—including the Saudi Transport Minister.
A key reason to be interested in innovations from local companies is the high costs, delays, and unreliability associated with sourcing military and specialized equipment from abroad.
Stingray Technologies
A Pakistani defense company with over 20 years of experience in land, air, sea, and cyber technology, Stingray Technologies has developed unmanned surface vessels (USV) with ground control stations enabling remote operation. These vessels, currently used for reconnaissance but equipped with offensive capabilities, are 25 feet long and can travel 20–30 km, staying operational for 4–5 hours.
They also showcased a maritime logistics drone capable of small-scale supply runs and IPMS, an integrated ship management system that consolidates ship maintenance data and monitoring into one platform. One spokesperson explained, “Ship management is often fragmented; this system provides all feeds in one place.”
Additionally, Stingray is working on a virtual reality (VR) ship training program designed to create highly immersive experiences, including simulations of ship movement over moving platforms that mimic rough seas.
National Electronics Complex of Pakistan (NECOP)
NECOP specializes in designing advanced electronic systems. Their highlight at the expo was the SAFRAH drone jamming gun, an indigenous device engineered to combat the misuse of commercial drones.
A NECOP representative explained that the device uses radar frequencies to intercept drones within a 1.5 km range. Weighing about nine kilograms, it can disable drone communications, preventing the drone from sending or receiving imagery, and compel it to land or return.
The company plans to demonstrate the gun publicly on November 4, with sessions scheduled at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Expo Centre.
Woot Tech and Winged Innovative Solutions
Woot Tech, a Pakistani aerospace and unmanned systems firm, designs and builds drones and target aircraft for commercial and military applications. Their offerings include fixed-wing, multirotor, and hybrid VTOL platforms used for surveillance, mapping, cargo delivery, and target practice.
Notably, they displayed a large remote-controlled drone and a USV equipped with a rotary camera, capable of reconnaissance or acting as a “suicide drone.” A smaller drone, designed by a Woot representative, was also on show.
Winged Innovative Solutions (WIS) is another local company focusing on unmanned aerial systems tailored for industrial, commercial, and defense uses. Their portfolio includes VTOL systems, loitering munitions, and specialized drones for payload delivery, surveillance, and cloud seeding.
A tweet from Mohsin Ali highlighted WIS’s debut at PIMEC, showcasing advanced loitering munitions, VTOL UAVs, and FPV drone technology.
Baykee
A subsidiary of a global power equipment manufacturer headquartered in Lahore, Baykee Pakistan Pvt Ltd draws on Chinese technology and supplies a wide range of power modules. Their products serve sectors such as mining, defense, railways, and satellite technology.
The company presented an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) designed for underwater repairs and a portable military jammer system powered by batteries.
Zarwah Enterprises and AquaTech Fisheries
Zarwah Enterprises, led by CEO Minahil Yousaf, is Pakistan’s first female-led aquaculture company committed to sustainable practices. They provide consulting, site development, pond construction, and aquaculture solutions for fish and shrimp farms, along with selling seeds, feeds, and farm supplies.
Their projects include biosecurity systems for Dhabeji Aqua Foods, reservoir construction for Aqua Hatch, and the design of the Al-Sumaka aquafarm in Nankana Sahib.
AquaTech Fisheries, founded by Muhammad Kamran and Ahmad Hussain, is focused on eco-friendly fish farming and feed innovation. They produce fish feed, Biofloc systems—using microbial biotechnology to optimize feed utilization—and aquaponics systems, along with selling fish.
This overview offers just a glimpse of the local companies innovating at PIMEC. The clear trajectory points toward expanding Pakistan’s maritime industry through homegrown solutions to local challenges.
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